


To the Beat of my Heart

by Silver85



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Drinking and Smoking, Drummer Nicole Haught, F/F, Highschool AU, Marching Band AU, Nicole and Shae in the beginning but it's not going stick around, Secret Relationship, Trumpet Player Waverly Earp, Wayhaught - Freeform, Wynaught bromance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:19:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 70,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver85/pseuds/Silver85
Summary: Waverly is finally a freshman and a rookie in Purgatory High's Marching Band where her sister Wynonna's BFF Nicole Haught is the section leader of the percussion line and someone Waverly most defiantly doesn't have a crush.Follow along for some Wayhaught Marching Band AU/High school AU headcannons (with a splash of my own marching band experiences sprinkled in) and watch as these two destined soulmates navigate marching band, high school, and totally not having a thing for each other.
Relationships: Jeremy Chetri/Robin Jett, Nicole Haught/Shae Pressman, Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp & Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp/Doc Holliday
Comments: 128
Kudos: 414





	1. Welcome to band camp rookies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to my first Wayhaught fanfic and my first fanfic post in a long ass time. Some of you may have followed me over from my Carmilla fics (gotta post Flatline again at some point). I look forward to thoughts, headcannons, and hopefully people don't think this is far out or terrible. It has seriously been a long time since I've picked away at a keyboard. I have an outline to get us through Waverly graduating but no update schedule to promise but I hope to have something posted every couple of weeks to keep us going through this hiatus. Feel free to say hi on Tumblr too if you feel @wigster07. 
> 
> PS- Just a heads up this starts with Nicole and Shae together but I don't plan on it being for very long. Maybe a couple of chapters but nothing in detail as the first few chapters are Waverly's POV. I hope that helps people give this a chance.

Royal blue double doors stood in the way of Waverly’s first day of band camp. The sun was blistering and it was barely seven in the morning. Her instrument, a freshly polished trumpet, was safely secured in its case and her backpack was stuffed full of snacks, sunscreen, spare socks, chapstick, and a large container of ice water. Wynonna sat in the driver seat of her old faded blue F150, fingers tapping away at the steering wheel just waiting for Waverly to get the courage to finally get out of the vehicle. 

“You take all the time you need baby girl, it's only the first day of being ‘freshmeat’,” Wynonna rolled her head back into the headrest and gave Waverly a tired smile. 

Waverly took a deep breath, a rather empty attempt at calming her nerves. She knew Jeremy was probably already inside; a friend she’d made during auditions at the start of summer. They had pledged to stick together if they both made it past auditions. It had been nerve wracking to say the least but knowing that she at least already had one friend gave her hope that high school wasn’t going to be all “hell” like Wynonna made it out to be. 

“I’m just nervous,” Waverly whispered and proceeded to double check her backpack a final time. 

“I was nervous on my first day of high school too. That’s just part of it. At least you’re already better off than I was. You’ve already got that nerd boy as a friend and if anyone gives you trouble then let me know and I’ll sick Haught Pocket on them,” Wynonna reached out and steadied Waverly’s shaking hand as she attempted to rezip her backpack closed. 

That’s right; Nicole. Mocha eyes, fiery red braid, disarming dimpled smile, and Wynonna’s best friend since they were freshmen themselves just two years prior. Definitely not someone Waverly was crushing on and definitely not an upperclassman who didn’t need to be worried about one of the rookie brass players. Waverly let out a shaky breath before steeling herself with a tight grip on her instrument case and backpack. Letting her cheeks puff out as she forced the deep breath out of her lungs she opened the truck door and jumped out. It was cutting it close, but she definitely didn’t want to be late, especially since she’d been sitting in the parking lot for the past ten minutes with frayed nerves and a patient older sister. 

“Thanks Wy! I’ll text during our lunch break,” Waverly closed the door and smiled at Wynonna through the downed window, “I’ve got this!” 

“That you do babygirl! Have a great first day of camp and don’t forget the sunscreen. Gus will be upset if you come home red as a tomato,” Wynonna reminded her and then cranked the engine on. Waverly gave her the bravest smile she could and then sharply turned on her heel and stomped her way up to those striking blue doors. 

She vaguely heard the truck putter away as the noise level thundered behind the band doors. Various instruments blared and the erratic percussion sounds threatened to drown everything out, even through thick steel doors. She pulled at the door and the sound behind them exploded around her. The room was crowded from excited freshmen and experienced seniors trying to guide them around to where they needed to be to start the day. The band kids that had found their places had their instruments out and were warming up. There were no seats out but the music stands were in multiple rows that curved around the podium at the center of the room towards the back wall. To her left was a wall of lockers just past the percussion line that seemed to have every player just strumming along to whatever beat they wanted to tap out. At the base of all the lockers seemed to be where everyone had piled their backpacks and supplies for a full day of camp. 

Waverly did a quick scan to see if she noticed any familiar faces. She did pick out Jeremy as he excitedly waved to her as soon as he saw her. He was in frayed cargo shorts and a faded Star Wars t-shirt, his baritone almost looked bigger than he was. She smiled and waved back then pointed to the pile of backpacks to indicate she was going to set her stuff down. She drew her shoulders in, in an attempt to make herself smaller, so she could slip past the percussion line. She was slightly disappointed that Nicole wasn’t there yet, hoping to at least start her band camp experience with a smile from Wynonna’s best friend. 

She placed her bag down and reached in to pull out the 3 ring binder they were instructed to bring. She zipped the bag up and popped open her case to pull out her trumpet so she could join the brass line and introduce herself to her section leader. As she got herself ready she began buzzing her lips as a warmup and running through the scales in her head. She was trying her hardest to not let her nerves get the better of her but as she stood up and her eyes locked with mocha ones across the room it was inevitable that she tripped over her own feet. She managed to steady herself but she could feel the heat blaze across her cheeks as Nicole chuckled across the room from where she stood with a row of other, what Waverly assumed to be, upperclassmen. 

Waverly politely excused herself through other kids as she made her way to the row of trumpet players and found an empty music stand. She propped her 3 ring binder there as she noticed most everyone else had as well and smiled at the kid next to her. He looked just as nervous as she was and his hands were shaking as he tapped his fingers against the keys of his trumpet. 

“Hi! I’m Waverly,” She attempted to give him her brightest smile and hoped that this was a good start to making additional friends in the band. 

“Um, hey,” He blinked at her before seeming to get his bearings and smiled back, “I’m Robin.” 

“Rookie too?” She brought her trumpet to her lips and began to blow air through it to warm up the brass. 

“That obvious?” Robin chuckled and shifted on his feet, “You?”

“Yep. I almost think we could easily look around the room and tell who all the rookies are. Pretty sure I’m not the only one wracked with nerves,” She smiled again as her statement got a full laugh from Robin. Yep, so far she was making friends and the day looked to be promising. 

Before she could ask Robin anything else the room seemed to settle into a focused energy as their band director, Mrs. Lucado stepped out of her office and took to stepping on top of the podium in the center of the curved lines of music stands and kids in front of her. “Band-ten-hut!” All the rookies stood frozen while the rest of the band snapped to attention with a deafening yell “Devils!” that echoed through the room. 

Waverly and Robin didn’t dare move but Waverly paid attention to how the other seasoned trumpet players stood with their backs straight, chins slightly raised, and their instruments held parallel to their chests in front of them. Those without instruments, such as Nicole and the dark skinned beauty next to her, held their arms with a slight bent in the elbows at their sides with chins slightly raised and eyes trained ahead. No one moved a muscle which froze Waverly in place from matching the stance of the older members further down the trumpet line. 

She caught movement of a trombone player to her left who moved after a few long seconds after everyone else to match the stance of the person next to him. Mrs. Lucado’s eyes immediately snapped towards him and she could almost hear the sharp inhale of fear from the people next to him. 

“Welcome to band camp. Rookies, first lesson! Look at the seasoned person beside you. When we call you to attention, as I just did, you are to take that stance and not move. Little advice, if for whatever reason your hormone sludged brain prevents you from snapping to attention, at least be smart enough to not move. I’m less likely to see that you’ve failed a simple instruction unless you draw my attention to it. Anyone who is caught moving from here on out will either do push ups or have to take a lap around the field.” Mrs. Lucado made a pointed look at the trombone player and he visibly gulped. Silence filled the room and Mrs. Lucado turned to the person standing to Nicole’s side and stepped off the podium to whisper to her briefly. Waverly focused intently on not moving a muscle. She did not want to get on her band directors bad side on the very first day of band camp. 

Sweat started to build up against the back of her neck, her shoulders stiff and thighs starting to cramp. Mrs. Lucado took to the podium again, “Rookies, look around and mimic this next stance; PARADE REST!” Everyone who knew what that instruction meant spread their feet shoulder width apart and their instruments fell to a relaxed stance at their waist. Waverly quickly mimicked the stance and immediately felt relief as her knees unlocked and feeling began to return to her toes. 

“Excellent work everyone. Now listen up, I don’t like repeating myself. This week of camp is going to be focused on the music and basic maneuvers. Next week is when you’ll all learn the drills, or at least as much of it as we can during the week. Whatever we don’t learn will be saved for band practice after school starts and it won’t be pretty so come to camp ready to work,” Mrs. Lucado pointed to the row of students behind her, “These are your section leaders. Their direction and command are as good as coming from me. What they tell you goes, and that especially means that if they tell you to take a lap, do push ups, jumping jacks, or whatever, you will listen and do them. Should you feel that they are abusing their power, then you can bring your concerns to your drum major Shae Pressman, or myself, and we will look into it.” Mrs. Lucado pointed to the person standing next to Nicole, who stood there smirking at the entire band, but what made Waverly’s gut jump painfully was the look of pride on Nicole’s face. She briefly recalled Wynonna complaining weeks ago about how her ‘best friend suddenly had no time for her since she discovered someone else's perky tits.’ 

“There is a lot to get done today. Section leaders will begin handing out your sheet music as well as setting up their rookies with their flip folder and your marching lyres. They have sheets with who has paid for these and who still owes, so I hope you’ve remembered the fees that were due today if you haven’t already paid them. If you’ve forgotten your fees then you’ll be running laps every day until you’ve paid them. Shae, after everyone is set up I want to hear warm ups happening so we can begin sight reading before nine sharp.” Mrs. Lucado turned towards their drum major and received a nod in return. With a final look over the band she gave a final shout, “At ease!’ and then turned to head back into her office. 

Everyone relaxed from their stances and then the room began to bustle as section leaders pulled pile after pile of small sheet music into a stack and began handing them out to their rows of kids. With Waverly at the end of the row she made sure to stack whatever extras that made it down to her and place them neatly into a pile to hand back to her section leader. All the notes were tiny and Waverly groaned at how difficult this music was going to be to read. She knew she wasn’t the best sight reader but she was determined to give her all to memorizing everything. 

Eventually her section leader made it down to her and Robin and provided them with their flip folders and lyres and showed them how to attach the lyres to their trumpets, and provided which order they should store their music in their flip folders. He was super nice and patient with them and she felt comfortable that she could ask him any question; which didn’t to be the case for everyone as she noticed the kid who moved after attention was called getting chewed out already by his section leader. 

As each section leader finalized getting everyone ready to begin they stuck their hand in the air for Shea to track their progress so she would know when to start everyone on warm ups. Once the last section leader raised their hand Shae’s voice boomed out with command, “Band-ten-hut!” Seasoned kids snapped to attention with ease but pretty much all of the rookies stumbled. Waverly didn’t feel like she stumbled too terribly but she felt a chill as Shae’s gaze lingered on her and Robin before drifting over to a few of the other rookies who struggled. Despite it being her first call official call to attention, she felt disappointed in herself for not nailing it right away. 

“Okay, we are going to start with our warmups. If your section leaders were smart, they’d have you put that sheet at the front of your flip folder so you’ll be ready to go. If not, quickly flip to it and get ready,” Shae lifted her arms and those paying attention and who weren’t new to this, lifted their instruments to their lips in a cohesive fluid motion. Waverly did her best to mimic their stances and felt somewhat confident when she wasn’t told to take a lap or do push ups. Her focus shifted all over the room as they all began to follow along to the sheet music in front of them which was basically different variations of their scales. 

The second Shae heard the tiniest mistake she was yelling for them to stop and start over. Her lips were beyond numb by the time they were able to make it through the entire warm up without having to start over. Then they were moving on to learning the first number of their show. The idea was to sight read together as a band before breaking into sections to practice in different classrooms. 

They only made it a few seconds into the song before Shae was stopping them and giving directions; directions that they needed to mark on their sheet music and Waverly was suddenly very aware of a crucial object she had forgotten, a pencil. Luckily her new friend was a welcomed hero and let her borrow his so she wasn’t missing out on any important notes.

“Alright, we are going to break up into sections. Section leaders you know which areas are yours for practice. We’ll do private rehearsals until eleven thirty and then we’ll meet back here for a run through before taking our lunch break,” Shae stepped down from the podium and then the band room erupted into what seemed like chaos as everyone dispersed. Robin smiled at her and then waved awkwardly behind her. When she turned Jeremy was waving back and then made a funny face towards them both. 

She and Robin started to follow the rest of the Trumpet section when something tapped on her shoulder. She turned and instantly faltered as the most brilliant dimpled smile stunned her. Nicole waved a mechanical pencil in the air, “Hey, rookie.” 

“Nicole! Hi!” Waverly smiled around the sudden dryness of her throat. 

“Don’t keep your section leader waiting but uh, I noticed you forgot a pencil and I have a spare,” Nicole continued to offer the pencil in the space between them until the action finally registered in Waverly’s consciousness. She reached out, fingers slightly grazing against Nicole's as she took the pencil. 

“Thanks,” Waverly swallowed, breath hitching as Nicole’s smile widened and deepened the dimple on her left cheek. Definitely not a crush on her sister's best friend.

Someone called out and snapped Nicole’s attention away from Waverly, and if she had investigated the interruption she may have found an irritated drum major instructing Nicole to reign in the attention of her percussion line. Nicole turned one last time towards Waverly with a parting smile, drum stick twirling through long slender fingers before yelling at her section to stand at attention and get ready for their run through. With quick feet Waverly turned hastily and hoped to find where her section had disappeared too. 

Sectional practice was definitely less intense then when Shae was yelling at them all for every mistake. Conner, their section leader, was patient with them and let them at least get through the entire song a few times instead of drilling the same few bars over and over again. It wasn’t even lunch yet and her lips were definitely chafing and her tongue felt swollen in her mouth. At least all the run throughs were helping her memorize the music and for some parts she was already not needing to pay as close attention to the sheet music. Maybe this was something she could do after all. Not that she’d doubted herself...too much. 

Just when her stomach was starting to cramp from hunger they were all filing back into the band room to do another run through. The pencil Nicole was letting her borrow was tucked behind her ear and as she swept her eyes over the percussion line, the pressure of it against the cartilage was ever present. And then it wasn’t, but that was because Waverly was void of noticing anything but the muscles rippling in Nicole's forearms, biceps flexing and smirk on display as the percussion line continued their cadence as everyone filed back into their rows. Nicole had her snare strapped to her torso and was walking the line while everyone else’s drums were still on their stands. Nicole turned her back to pace the other direction and Waverly’s dry throat returned watching as back muscles pinched into definition. 

Robin bumped shoulders with her and managed to snap her out of her, more than likely, inappropriate staring. She swallowed thickly and gave Robin a small appreciative smile before falling in line behind him as they filled in the last of the trumpet section. It was only a few seconds before the snare line was tapping out the last of their cadence with a few stuttering odd beats and then when the line finished there was one final tap and Nicole groaned.

“Lonnie, you’ve gotta count it out but it’s okay you’ll get it,” Nicole’s voice carried over the mostly quite band room as everyone anticipated the call to attention as Shae stepped up on the podium. Waverly and Robin snapped into place in almost fluid continuance of the rest of the trumpet line. At least they weren’t on their drum major’s radar for potential laps as Shae’s gaze zeroed in on different sections, including the percussion line. 

“Alright, from the top and if we can make it all the way through with an acceptable performance we can break for lunch,” Shae raised her arms and everyone raised their instruments. Shea’s arms began to snap the count. 

They only made it halfway before Shae stopped them all. With a snap they all reset and began again. By the fourth playthrough they finally made it through the entirety of the song and with a relieved sigh they were dismissed for lunch. Robin shoulder checked her again and asked if they could eat together, she happily accepted. Jeremy joined them as they picked a corner of the band room that no one else had congregated too. She almost, very briefly, wished that Nicole would wave or join them or say something at all but her hope for it died when Nicole slid up next to Shae and seemed to be the only reason that Shae smiled at all. 

“I hear they’re together. Supposedly the it couple this year,” Jeremy was fresh for the gossip but all it did was make the peanut butter of Waverly’s sandwich seem to stick to the roof of her mouth that much thicker. So Shae, her drum major, was the chick with perky tits that Wynonna was upset for taking all of Nicole’s free time. And now Waverly, who decidedly did not have a crush on Nicole, had to see it every day at band, plus practice, future football games, competitions, and whatever else she didn’t know about. But it was ok right? Because it wasn’t a crush. Anyone who wore a bright blue tank that perfectly framed all the defined muscles of their back, biceps and forearms, and paced wearing their snare drum against their chest and expertly rapped out the beat with their drumsticks would have Waverly just as entranced. Right? Ok so maybe not currently were any of the other drummers capturing her attention at all. 

Half way through lunch Shae announced that for the next few hours they would be outside for technique practice and to hydrate and apply plenty of sunscreen. For now they wouldn’t need their instruments so to place them neatly at their spot in their section. Waverly made sure the three of them drank plenty of water and she applied sunscreen and chapstick to her already sore lips. 

It seemed that lunch was over way too quickly since she had two new friends to socialize with but what came next seemed very exciting. They all lined up outside in their sections and the only person to bring their instrument was Nicole who was tapping out the beat for them to learn to march too. For everyone but the rookies, it was a refresher lesson to work out all the cobwebs from concert season and the summer break. For all the rookies, it was nerve-wracking torture. Heel-toe, heel-toe. Left, right, left. Which foot was her left foot? For someone who had lived with both feet all her life, it seemed ridiculous how many times her brain sputtered to remember which was her left for her to start on. 

Her shoulders burned with fatigue from holding her hands out to mimic holding her trumpet and she dreaded when they would actually do this with their instruments. She thought she was in great shape with her daily yoga but she was seriously underestimating the physical capability that band kids developed. It didn’t help that her mind wandered back to Nicole ,who was already wearing her snare outside before anyone else had their instrument, and the fact that this was Nicole’s third year, so the endurance in those shoulders and arms must be godly at this point. She was partly jealous at her rookie level but also highly impressed in her sister's best friend. 

She tripped over her feet again; seriously which one was her left? Nicole noticed and Waverly saw the attempt to hide the laugh at her expense. Maybe Nicole was so noticeable today because Wynonna and herself hadn’t gotten to really spend anytime with Nicole all summer. Maybe this was just hyper-focusing because she had missed a proxy friend for a long month and a half. Ugh, she needed to focus. She needed to get a damn grip of herself. 

Her shoulders felt burnt, definitely a little on the raw side, when they all were ushered back inside for the final hour of the day. Mrs. Lucado joined them, standing behind as Shae directed them through the number they’d been practicing for the day, only this time they were now marching in place to count as they had learned outside. It definitely helped but seriously, which foot was left. 

Everyone was dismissed for the day but Waverly took the time to get Jeremy and Robin’s numbers added to her phone and carefully packed her backpack and trumpet up. She fully planned on taking a shower and getting some dinner before practicing for however long Gus, Curtis, and Wynonna could stand it. She’d probably end up out in the barn for the night so she could play properly and work on her air support. 

A pair of ratty tennis shoes filled Waverly’s vision as she finished zipping her backpack up. She recognized them instantly. She smiled up at Nicole who was shouldering her own bag and twirling one of her sticks in her free hand, “Hey Waves!” 

She smiled and then remembered the pencil still tucked behind her ear, “Oh, here you go. Thanks for letting me borrow this.” 

“Nonsense. You keep it, I’ve got plenty,” Nicole gave her that million watt smile and brought her twirling drumstick down to tap out a beat against her thigh, ”Uh, Wynonna texted and asked if I could bring you home. She got caught up doing something.” 

“Oh you mean someone,” Waverly chuckled despite the twinge of disappointment of not having her sister pick her up. 

“Yeah,” Nicole shrugged as she leaned down and grabbed Waverly’s trumpet. 

“You don’t have too,” Waverly stood, shouldering her bag and reaching for her instrument case.

“Come on Waves,” Nicole moved out of Waverly’s reach and started leading them towards the parking lot, “I can’t wait to hear all about your first day of band camp.” 

“It was,” She paused trying to find the right words. She was exhausted, sure, but also with a new wave of energy just wanting to get home and practice. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow and the possibilities of new friends and learning the next song and practicing additional marching techniques, “exciting and also kind of overwhelming. I kind of want to take a nap and shower but I need to practice.” 

Nicole popped open the trunk of her black ‘99 Honda Civic, a car Waverly knew how proud Nicole was to have. She’d worked on the homestead for Curtis all last year to save up for and continued to do some odd jobs where she would be able to afford all the repairs the junker had needed. But Nicole was proud and not many students of Purgatory High could say that they bought their own car, paid for their own insurance, and was completely independent from mommy and daddy like Nicole had desperately needed. 

Nicole placed their bags and Waverly’s trumpet in the trunk and then unlocked Waverly’s door. She didn’t have automatic locks, yet. But it was on Nicole’s upgrade list that she had dreamily written out on a wish list notebook that Waverly knew was always in the bottom of Nicole’s backpack. Waverly climbed in and groaned at the hot seats that instantly stuck to her exposed skin. As soon as Nicole started the car she cranked the air on full blast with a sheepish smile while peeling her own thighs off her driver’s seat. 

“How was your summer?” Nicole broke the silence after they had been on the road for a few minutes. It was at least a thirty minute ride to the homestead, twenty five if you were Wynonna. 

“It was short but long. Kind of missed seeing you around. I know Wynonna is a bit peeved with you about your lack of appearance,” She turned to study Nicole’s face which was slightly pulled into a grimace. 

“Yeah, she mentioned in passing that I’m a traitor for finding company other than herself. I think she’s just jealous I’m telling someone else that their ass is top shelf,” Nicole laughed at her own joke. Waverly’s gut flipped in what she was not saying to be jealousy. 

“Maybe I’m a little peeved too,” Waverly whispered and turned towards the window with a sigh. Not a crush. Nicole was older, way cooler, and despite them growing up somewhat together since Wynonna and Nicole bonded, there was a gap between them. She just needed to crush on someone else. Someone more obtainable. 

“Sorry I wasn’t around this summer. But we’re in marching band together now and we’ll see each other way more now with games and competitions,” Nicole offered. 

“Will we though? You’re dating Shae right?” Waverly shouldn’t have asked. The answer was going to hurt. 

“Yeah, but we’ve been friends forever and despite my absence this summer I’m not going to put you and Wynonna on the backburner just cause I’ve got a girlfriend now,” Nicole looked from the road towards Waverly with an honest smile, one that brought that jump in the gut again, “I promise.”

“I’ll hold you too that Haught,” Waverly offered her own honest smile in return while mentally and desperately trying to not get her hopes up. She knew how Wynonna got when a new boy toy presented itself, especially at the moment since Nicole was driving her home and not her sister. Additionally, Nicole had already disappeared on them because of a girlfriend. Better to just let what would happen, happen, and not let herself get disappointed. Because it would only be disappointing if this was actually a crush and it was most definitely not.


	2. Hands on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of band camp is proving to be a challenge but with Nicole's help Waverly is starting to get the hang of it.

Waverly wasn’t as nervous the next morning when Wynonna dropped her off for her second day of band camp. This morning she was extra prepared with extra snacks, a few more pencils in case Nicole asked for hers back, and she’d grab some cash from Gus. She was fairly certain Jeremy was short on his band fees and she wanted to help keep him from running laps today. 

“Just a heads up baby girl but Nicole is going to bring you home again today,” Wynonna stopped her just as Waverly was about to close the truck door after she’d hopped out. 

“Really, Wy? Whose the guy this time?” Waverly gave a pointed annoyed look towards her older sister. 

“It’s not a guy, so calm down there,” Wynonna scoffed, “I’ve got a job interview.” Oh, well that was not expected and Waverly must have voiced that much out loud. “There’s something I want and Uncle Curtis can’t afford to pay me that much with chores around the farm. Especially since Nicole is picking up some work once school starts up to save up for that band trip this year.” Band trip? Waverly briefly remembered it mentioned in their marching band welcome packets on what to expect for the year. If Uncle Curtis was paying Nicole for chores to be able to afford to go, would they also be able for Waverly to go as well? Maybe she’d need to look at some work in town. She was fifteen but with permission from her guardians she could probably get part time hours at the local fast food place, or maybe do some babysitting. She would be turning 16 in just a couple of months and wouldn’t need a permission slip then but that really was dependent if she passed her drivers test. She would also need her own vehicle. At least when that happened she wouldn’t have to be disappointed when Wynonna wasn’t able to give her a ride anywhere.

“Where’s the interview?” Waverly asked and shifted her backpack across her shoulders. 

“Nope, not telling. Have a good day baby girl,” Wynonna made a face and barely gave Waverly the time to close the passenger door properly before taking off. Waverly huffed in mild irritation but she had a full day of band camp to occupy her mind and bubbling excitement. 

This time when she opened the band room doors she was prepared for the sudden burst of noise and walked in eager to start day two of camp. She was earlier than she was yesterday so more people were scattered near the lockers socializing. She didn’t even realize she was scanning the room looking for that sharp red braid until she felt her lips split in the smile that was natural whenever Nicole was nearby. She quickly schooled her face and went to put her backpack down and prep her trumpet for the morning warm ups. 

There was a group of people towards the front of the room that Waverly didn’t recognize from the previous day. Robin was already warming up in his spot, so she practically skipped up to her spot next to him and sorted her supplies for the day. He bumped shoulders with her in greeting and they shook off the pre-day jitters and warmed up. 

“Good morning Waverly!” Robin beamed and she happily greeted him back. She saw some of the other kids behind Robin look over and she smiled and waved good morning to them as well. She made it a goal to introduce herself better to the rest of her section and try to make friends with as many of them as she could. She was finally in high school and she was going to make the best of it, despite Wynonna’s warning of how hellish it and everyone was. 

It was easy to tell when it was almost time to get started for the day as the rows filled in with everyone and Mrs. Lucado finally came out of her office. Waverly was already half set and ready for the call to attention as she had spent an hour in front of the mirror the night before practicing snapping her trumpet into place. “BAND-TEN-HUT!”, and far more graceful than some of the other rookies, Waverly snapped to attention, proud that her practice was effective. “Devils!”, was shouted proudly throughout the band room.

“Good morning and welcome to day two of camp. Today, and for the rest of camp, we have some guests who are standing behind me. Everyone here is volunteering their time and are previous band graduates who are here as instructors. They are an extension of me and are here to help everyone with any struggles with learning their music and all of the marching techniques we will be learning heavily this afternoon. Section leaders collect whatever fees you can and update your sheets for me. Ms. Pressman, let's get these warm up drills started.” 

***********

During their lunch break Waverly managed to sneak the cash towards Jeremy and hoped that it would forgive him of the lap that his section leader had given him during the start of their practice. She had to assure him, multiple times, that there was no rush to pay her back. She later learned that it didn’t get him out of the lap he had to run after lunch while everyone got into lines outside to start learning more marching techniques. 

Today's first technique was learning to flank and it was extra challenging to not trip over her own feet at the start with learning the heel-toe-pivot while keeping her upper body twisted forward. She was struggling partially because they were only taking one step before resetting, which made the entire thing awkward and she kept tripping. She wasn’t the only rookie to keep messing up but the instructors and section leaders were starting to get frustrated with the dozen of them that just weren’t getting the hang of it. 

“Okay, we are going to split the groups. Instructors tap the shoulders of those that need extra practice. You’re going to go with some of our section leaders to another part of the parking lot until you get this movement down. Everyone else go take a 15 minute break. Hydrate and reapply sunscreen!” Shae dismissed the band. Waverly internally caved when she felt a tap on her shoulder but it wasn’t unexpected.

Of the section leaders that came to assist them, Nicole was one. That snare was strapped to her chest and she spent the first few minutes tapping out the beats to help put a sound trigger to their steps. Slowly as they started to catch on to the movement they were dismissed to go hydrate and take a break. Waverly was really starting to get frustrated that she kept tripping over this technique, especially knowing that there were so many more she was going to have to learn. 

“I got this Sam,” Nicole put her snare on the ground and tucked her sticks into her back pocket before turning towards Waverly who was the only one left. Once Sam had his back turned to head into the band room, Nicole looked Waverly in the eye and gestured with her hand in a slow wave vertically over her chest as she took a deep breath. It was a few breaths in that Waverly realized that Nicole was guiding her into taking some calming breaths. It occurred to her that the frustration she was struggling with internally must have been clear externally. “It’s going to be okay,” Nicole smiled softly as Waverly finally seemed to move past the fact that she was the only rookie outside still working on this simple pivot and step.

“Alright, you are going to get this. I promise,” Nicole kept smiling and gestured for Waverly to reset to her starting position. Instead of taping the beat out on her drum she clapped out the beats. Waverly went to take the step and once again teetered off balance taking the one step and stopping. “Okay, okay, go back to position.” Instead of tapping out the beats the time, Nicole started to count and then placed her hands on Waverly’s waist. 

The air ripped from her lungs and before she could even pivot her step she tripped forward and barely registered that she squeaked. Nicole chuckled, “Okay, just breathe and let's try again. The secret to flanking is in the hips. Pop with purpose and confidently just take a step.” 

The close proximity of Nicole, the gentle wrap of those slender fingers against her waist, and the soft look in Nicole’s eyes were all causing a vibration in her arms that electrified to the tips of her fingers. She was very aware of the breath that sat heavy in her lungs while the area under Nicole's fingers buzzed from the pressure of her grip, despite its gentleness against her. 

“Just keep looking at me and focus on my hands,” It was whispered in the air between them and for the first time since starting the exercise, with Nicole’s hand applying gentle pressure, she twisted Waverly’s waist while maintaining eye contact. Focusing on those hands pressing firmly was all Waverly could do. She took one step and didn’t trip. Nicole gripped tighter to hold her in place, “Perfect, now focus on how your body feels from your heel on the ground, all the way up to the tightness in your shoulders.” 

She forced her focus away from the fingers that held her still and noticed the burn in her shin from keeping her toes pointed up with her heel firmly digging into the pavement as her weight was shifted forward in anticipation of that first step, and dragged that internal focus up to the pinch and burn between her shoulder blades at keeping herself twisted for her upper body to still remained locked parallel with Nicole. She found her core balanced with how her weight was shifted and it finally seemed to make sense where she kept mixing this maneuver up. 

“Haught, Earp! If she hasn’t got it at this point she’s going to take a lap. Get in here and get some water!” Shae’s bellow across the parking lot shattered the electricity that was in their locked gaze. Waverly felt the heat in her cheeks that wasn’t from the sun blazing above them.

“You got it,” Nicole whispered, her own cheeks seemed to pinken, and turned on her heel to pick up her snare to head inside to hydrate and reapply some sunscreen. The smile that Nicole left Waverly with seemed to burn deep within her own lungs and she felt the ghost of Nicole's fingers still at her waist. Okay, so maybe she did have a crush. Maybe.

She rushed inside to get some water and reapply her sunscreen and was met with hopeful small smiles from Robin and Jeremy who sat next to all of their book bags. “Any luck?” Jeremy asked as she dropped to her knees next to them and greedily drank from her water bottle. 

“Nicole helped me. I think I might have it figured out,” She pulled out her sunscreen and started to reapply it, especially on the back of her neck that already felt rather raw from the day before. 

“Nicole huh? The snare section leader?” Robin asked looking over the room and drawing Waverly’s attention to where Nicole was leaning up against the wall leisurely sipping a bottle of water while Shae was practically tucked against Nicole’s chest with their hands intertwined beside them. Waverly felt something twist in her chest and she dropped her gaze to focus back down on rubbing in the white awful smelling sunscreen into her exposed forearms. 

“Hey, so how do you know Nicole?” Jeremy asked as casually as he could. She heard Robin's hand thud against Jeremys leg and she looked up at her two new friends with questioning eyes. Jeremy looked embarrassed though. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on with those two but it was an innocent enough question.

“Um, she’s best friends with my older sister Wynonna. They met the summer before their freshman year and instantly bonded. Nicole has been a rock for us since then,” Waverly answered. She remembers how Nicole was at their house every afternoon after her father and Willa passed over a year ago. Nicole had kept Wynonna from being overly destructive, finding better alternatives of getting frustration out; like taking the both of them to the junkyard at night with baseball bats to swing out their frustrations on rusted out cars. Nicole had also been the one to sit with Waverly in the barn loft in complete silence most nights while Waverly internally dealt with her grief. 

She should have been a sophomore this year had Gus and Curtis not pulled her from school for a year due to her ‘episodes’, as they had called them. She’d spent months practically mute and in a constant state of panic and anxiety from the trauma. Her depression had really been bad for a few months and didn’t get better until she started going to therapy at her Aunt's pleas. So she’d been pulled from school for a year. Gus had been worried that if that had sent her off for her freshman year then, she’d have flunked out, or perhaps taken to some of Wynonna’s tendencies. Nicole had been there on the days she could around her band practice, chores on the farm, and her own family obligations and eventually Wynonna had started to focus more on Waverly’s trauma too. With how Nicole looked after both her and Wynonna, how could she not feel something more than what she should have? 

“So you two are close? Got any pull in getting her to get some of these older jerks to leave us alone?” Jeremy looked hopeful with his question.

“What do you mean? Whose being jerks?” Waverly questioned. 

“Oh it's nothing really. Just my section leader thinks I’m queer and I think that bothers him. I’ve overheard some of the comments he’s made to his friends. Although, considering they were talking about Nicole and Shae, maybe Nicole wouldn’t really have any pull in getting them to potentially leave me alone.” Jeremy picked at the fray of his cargo shorts and started to play with the half empty water bottle in his hands. Robin looked just as concerned as Waverly felt she looked as well. 

“I can ask?” She offered. 

Most days she forgot they lived in a small town and not everyone was as open minded about certain things as Waverly and those around her were. I mean, really, who cared and what did it hurt? But to some it was harmful ideals passed down from generations that lived to keep hatred alive. Waverly made a mental note to keep an eye on Jeremy, and in return Robin, because she kind of recognized the longing looks he kept making in Jeremy’s direction. Kind of like the looks she tried to hide when looking at Nicole. 

“Everyone back outside and get in formation. You have two minutes!” Shae was up on the podium yelling at the band that their short water break was over. Waverly chugged some more water quickly and jumped to her feet, following her new friends back outside into the blistering heat. 

*********

After revisiting the flank and ensuring the band as a whole had grasped the concept, they’d moved on to applying the technique and actually marching more than one step. The band worked the drill until most were rubbing their shins from the cramps that were setting in. Eventually they were allowed to go back inside out of the sun and practice was focused back on the music they were learning. 

It was nearing the end of the day when Ms. Lucado took to the podium. Ms. Lucado took over directing the band as they performed the two songs they had played through during the day. Waverly’s lips were chapped, her shoulders sore from the sunburn blistering her skin, and her entire body ached at its core. She was trying her hardest to not pay attention to the time, despite it being fifteen minutes past when they should have been released for the day. 

“Alright, listen up, just some last minute announcements for the day,” Ms. Lucado snapped, gathering everyone’s undivided attention. “First up, I’m pleased with the progress today. Everyone is working very hard and we are currently on track with where we should be. Be ready for tomorrow because we will attempt marching and playing at the same time. At this point you should all have the opening number memorized. If not, I suggest that is what you work on tonight.”

“Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that our snare solo for the show is being requested by our senior, Crofte. Traditionally, it is a role reserved for our section leader but seeing as Haught is a Junior, and Crofte a senior, a challenge has been issued. I think it is only fair to allow the challenge to play out. Next Monday, before the end of day, you two will perform for the band what you currently have prepared for a solo. Section leaders and your drum major will vote for who should get the honor.” 

As Ms. Lucado was speaking, Waverly glanced behind her to the percussion line. She could see the furrow of Nicole’s brow and the tenseness of her shoulders. Perry Crofte was smirking and standing in such a way that it was mocking to anyone who had sense to what Perry was doing. 

They were dismissed for the day shortly after. Waverly packed her trumpet and supplies up and stood chatting with Jeremy and Robin for a few minutes while she waited for Nicole to be ready to go. She was trying very hard to ignore Nicole and Shae out of the corner of her eye but didn’t miss the kiss that was shared before Nicole split off with her snare on her chest and backpack slung over her shoulder. 

“Hey guys,” Nicole slid up next to Waverly and smiled at Robin and Jeremy. 

“Uh, hi there Nicole, head snare Nicole,” Jeremy chuckled before his eyes got big and he comically sucked his lips in an effort to get himself to stop talking and then awkwardly slaluted. 

“Hi, I’m Robin and this adorable bean here is Jeremy,” Robin shook Nicole’s hand after nodding his head towards Jeremy who attempted to smile like a normal person. 

“Nice to meet you two,” Nicole smiled, dimple on display. She looked down at Waverly, her smile never faulting, “Ready to go?”

“With you? Always,” Waverly wasn’t sure where that came from, but seeing Nicole’s smile beam brighter, she wouldn’t take it back. 

She waved goodbye to her friends and followed Nicole out to the parking lot. Waverly had to put her trumpet and backpack into the backseat as Nicole’s snare took up the entire trunk of Nicole’s car. 

“I thought you weren’t allowed to take your drum home?” Waverly asked, vaguely remembering Nicole mention it the previous year when she was constantly practicing on the practice pad she carried in her backpack. It was something that drove Wynonna nuts. 

“I can’t practice for Crofte’s stupid ass challenge properly on my pad. I need the weight of my snare so I don’t trip up my movements,” Nicole tapped at her steering wheel, a habit Waverly knew was from irritation. 

“Oh,” She shrugged and settled into her seat for the long drive to the homestead, “Makes sense.”

“Ugh, and Crofte is so fucking cocky. He’s not even taking his snare home. He thinks he’s already got me beat,” Nicole shook her head in frustration, fingers tapping a little harder now. 

“That will be his fatal mistake,” Waverly reached out to grip at Nicole’s forearm, swallowing a bit once she felt the strong muscle flex under her fingers, “He has nothing on you, Nicole.”

Nicole stopped tapping at the steering wheel the moment Waverly’s fingers brushed against her skin. She turned and gave Waverly a bright smile, “Thanks, Waves.” 

*********

Nicole had stayed after bringing Waverly to the homestead. Curtis didn’t care if Nicole practiced on her snare in the barn so long as the cows were out to pasture and not disturbed. Waverly was out there with her, trying to focus on practicing her flanking while holding her trumpet. Nicole was running through her solo for the hundredth time, sighing in frustration as she tripped up one of her stick tricks that she had been drilling for the past half hour. 

Nicole finally set her snare down with huff and plopped herself down so her back was propped up by a stack of hay bales. Waverly tried to not let Nicole’s stare trip her up as she worked on marching forward five steps, then flanking left for five steps. She reset and marched forward again, flanking right. Nicole folded her arms across her chest with a look of pride.

“Seems like you got it figured out,” Nicole’s voice pulled Waverly out of her focus and she stopped mid step. 

“I have an excellent teacher. Real hands on type,” Waverly winked. Nicole barked out a laugh and shook her head that had Waverly grinning. She was hoping that would get Nicole out of the frustration she was stewing in. 

“You just think too much,” Nicole grinned back.

“I’m terrified of having to run a lap in front of everyone,” Waverly admitted. 

Nicole chewed her lip for a moment before jumping to her feet. She came to stand next to Waverly, “I know what we’re learning tomorrow so how about I show you so you’re prepared.” Waverly hugged her trumpet to her chest and smiled softly. When Nicole started to march Waverly focused intently on what her feet were doing. 

First Nicole marched forward five steps and then stood on her toes and marched backwards five, till she stopped in the exact spot she’d started. “Starting out, a trick they don’t tell you, is to mark where you start. Use like a water bottle or something. This way you can mentally track your pacing as you move backwards. It feels like it's a big step but many either take too small or way too big and don’t end up anywhere near where they started.” To prove her statement, Nicole marched the same five forward and then deliberately took a different stride back but Waverly could tell she’d overstepped where she originally started.

“Once everyone gets the backwards marching, we’ll end up doing box drills,” Nicole motioned for Waverly to step back and when she did Nicole marched forward five, flanked five, went back five, and flanked again to stop back where she originally stated. “This will be all day tomorrow. Ms. Lucado doesn’t tell you all that when she states you’ll be marching and playing, it’ll be while doing the box drill.” 

Waverly rubbed her forehead already feeling the anxiety for tomorrow, “Oh wow.” 

“Let me grab my water and I can practice with you,” Nicole jogged back to her backpack that was propped against the barn wall and retrieved her reusable water bottle. She came back and joined Waverly’s side where she’d moved to be her starting location. Nicole marked the spot with her water bottle. 

With the patience of, well Nicole, Waverly worked through the backwards marching first. It was actually a lot easier for her to grasp than flanking had been. After a handful of attempts she figured out her pacing and was landing back by Nicole’s water bottle each time she restarted the drill. 

“Okay, keep your eyes on me. I’m going to march like we do on the percussion line but just focus on matching my pacing,” Nicole stood directly in front of Waverly and with an encouraging smile she started to clap out a beat. They locked eyes and when Nicole stepped so did Waverly. Nicole was sidestepping during her flank and when Waverly went backwards, Nicole moved forwards. It was like a touchless tango they were performing in the barn as the sun set against the soft hills of the homestead property. 

After a handful of rotations without error Nicole stopped, reaching out to place a soft touch at each of Waverly’s arms. They still hadn’t broken eye contact and Waverly was most certain that Nicole could hear her heartbeat echoing against the barn walls. 

“You are a natural,” Nicole breathed out, voice barely a whisper. 

“Hardly,” Waverly grinned, “Hands on teacher and all.” 

Nicole swallowed hard and after a long moment dropped her hands from Waverly’s arms, “You’ll be great tomorrow. No need to worry about running laps.” 

Waverly took a step forward without consciously thinking about it, “Thank you, Nicole.” 

Nicole licked her lips and Waverly swore she thought she saw her gaze flick down before coming back up to meet Waverly’s eyes. Something in her chest fluttered and Waverly brazenly reached out to take Nicole’s hand. Their fingers interlaced without thought. It wasn’t the first time they’d held hands. Before Nicole had disappeared on her and Wynonna at the start of summer, whenever Nicole had been just hanging out with her, they’d held hands plenty. It was second nature but that was before Waverly discovered that she possibly had a huge crush on Nicole. 

Yesterday she was adamant to deny that it was a crush but the way her heart was beating erratically against her ribcage, and the unintentional quickness of her breath just standing this close to Nicole while holding her hand…oh.

It was most definitely a crush.

Time seemed to pause as Waverly detected Nicole shift forward, the space between them shrinking, and Waverly’s name was whispered from Nicole’s lips.

“Hey you two! Gus has dinner on the table,” Wynonna strutted through the barn doors. At her interruption Nicole leapt back, their hands falling apart. The only evidence of the moment between them was the redness upon both their cheeks. If Wynonna noticed that she’d barged in on something she didn’t comment. 

“I’m starving, so I’m betting you are too,” Waverly smiled at Nicole hoping that whatever just happened was something Nicole meant to happen. Mostly because Waverly felt like they were maybe, well, she had really wanted to kiss Nicole in that moment and maybe Nicole had wanted to kiss her too. Or had she imagined that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has shared a comment, bookmarked, or left kudos. I appreciate all of you. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Helplessly doomed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole is dealing with some thoughts and feelings as we follow her through the rest of week one of band camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter from Nicole's point of view. Some stuff happens.

Nicole was face first into her pillow, comforter wrapped tightly around her body, and peacefully dozing despite still feeling the bite of the hardwood floor beneath her. She could tell it was early morning and she was content to lay there until her alarm went off beside her. That was the plan anyway until Wynonna ungraciously stepped on her as she stumbled out of bed. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Nicole groaned and rolled over, rubbing where Wynonna’s foot had dug into her lower back. She felt the tightness already setting in and dreaded the day of carrying her snare after sleeping on Wynonna’s bedroom floor. 

“You needed to get up anyway,” Wynonna yawned and kicked open her bathroom door. The door to the other side was open and provided a peak into Waverly’s room before Wynonna kicked the door closed behind her. Nicole could hear the greeting towards Waverly who had smiled at Nicole from her bed across the way. 

Waverly. The one person who consumed her thoughts on any given day. Also, the one person she shouldn’t have consuming her thoughts. Wynonna was her best friend and Waverly was her best friend's baby sister. The only sister she had left. Nicole couldn’t help her crush, she’d accepted that fact shortly after getting to know Waverly a couple of years ago when they’d met but things had gotten bad last year after Ward and Willa died in the car crash. It could have gotten worse and Nicole still would have stayed by the Earp sisters sides. 

Wynonna was the easier of the two to handle as she only got more destructive than normal. Nights sneaking away to drink and smoke and hook up. Nicole could handle that; having dragged Wynonna home each night, making sure her best friend was safe in bed with water and aspirin. She’d even taken Wynonna for the morning after pill a couple of times before Nicole made a habit to shove condoms into Wynonna’s pocket every day. Now it was an inside joke but at the time Nicole was seriously concerned that the pill wasn’t going to be good enough one of these days and it would just be another drive down self-destruction road. 

Waverly though...Waverly broke her heart every day before Nicole could shift focus to Wynonna’s destruction. Those bright hazel eyes and beaming smile had practically disappeared to wherever Waverly’s mind spent the day lost in. Nicole would sit with her in the barn loft, silent for hours and would just hold her hand. Some days Waverly would actually break and cry into Nicole’s shoulder until she’d finally fall asleep. For months though not a word was said and that crush that Nicole harbored just beat painfully against her heart. But Nicole stayed, vigilant by her side should Waverly ever need her. 

When Waverly started therapy and slowly started to become herself again Nicole made it a point to do something to alleviate the pain in her chest that sat unwelcomed. Months of holding two people together at her own expense was breaking her and she wanted her heart to feel something other than the painful constrictions that had taken permanent residence. So she started flirting back with Shae Pressman, and when school let out for summer, Nicole dived in feet first into the hot and heavy with no regard to anything else. It was two months of hormone driven actions and Nicole felt like a changed person from it. She’d needed the break from the Earp sisters, but with band camp started now, it was like the two months never happened. 

She was back to daydreaming about Waverly Earp every time she caught that soft smile from any angle around the band room or parking lot. Last night though, that frustrated wrinkle on Waverly’s brow and the lip bite from concentrating had been driving Nicole internally insane. She’d fumbled her sticks too many times for it to be fatigue from a long day. It was purely from being distracted by the one person on the planet that was magnetic to Nicole’s attention. 

Then Waverly had stepped into her space and all Nicole could think about was if Waverly’s lips were as soft as they looked and if Nicole kissed her would Waverly kiss her back. She’d been certain they were about too, until Wynonna interrupted them. Perhaps it was for the best. Nicole would never want to jeopardize what she had with either Earp. They were her family, the two most important people in her life and Nicole couldn’t risk that by acting on impulse. If Nicole kissed Waverly, and Waverly didn’t feel the same, then Wynonna absolutely would kill her and Nicole would let her. 

Wynonna came back into the bedroom as Nicole tied the drawstring tight on her shorts. It was going to be another scorching day and Nicole already knew this was the start to the band spending more time outside. Her shoulders were already a dangerous pink for only being on the third day, and for someone who did manual labor on the farm for extra money, she was extremely sore. 

“I need you to drive Waverly to camp this morning. I got that job so I probably won’t be able to drive her much anymore,” Wynonna rummaged through her drawers and pulled out some clothes.

“You know I’ve got you and Waverly, whatever you need,” Nicole packed up her practice pad and pulled out her empty water bottle to refill downstairs before leaving. She applied deodorant and tossed the tube into her bag for later. 

“Cool cause she’s probably not going to be happy I’m ditching her again,” Wynonna mumbled but Nicole heard it all the same. 

Wynonna was correct to assume that Waverly would be upset. Nicole caught the look of hurt that flashed so quickly through Waverly’s eyes later when Wynonna broke the news during their quick breakfast. Then those eyes turned to Nicole's and, what was common most days, had Nicole's breath caught in her throat. The disappointment that Waverly held in her eyes lifted instantly and within a breath Waverly was smiling at her with bright eyes like nothing had dimmed them a moment before. Nicole tried not to give too much weight into the thought that she could lift Waverly’s spirits like that so quickly, or be the reason at all. 

“Ready to go Waves?” Nicole picked up Waverly’s trumpet and backpack, her own bag already on her shoulders.

“Day three of camp!” Waverly bounced forward, “Yay!”

*********

Today was brutal. Lonnie was tripping over everyone, Perry was provoking her every chance he got, and Shae was not a welcome distraction as she’d been the past couple of months and she figured her girlfriend was picking up on that, so it was causing some friction throughout the day. But Waverly was showing even some of the more seasoned marchers up as they were now well into doing their box drills before attempting to play and march at the same time. It made Nicole’s chest swell with pride and every time Waverly caught her eyes, the beaming smile she received made her knees weak. 

The percussion line faced the rest of the band as they did their box drills, just as Nicole had practiced with Waverly the night before. It was perfect for Nicole to be able to watch Waverly move so much more gracefully than the day before. Once Waverly figured something out, it wasn’t long before she was perfecting it. It wasn’t a surprise to Nicole, she was around when Waverly was teaching herself Spanish and nearly fluent within that year. If she remembered right, Waverly was already teaching herself French now too. 

She groaned again as Lonnie clipped the back of her heels when he didn’t stop at the final count. She turned back to Lonnie, growling in her throat from the sharp pain, and motioned for him to drop and do push ups. She was done being patient with him. “Lonnie, you’ve got to count so how about you count those push ups out loud so I know you can.”

The instructors were walking through the row of kids, giving tips and minor corrections while a few kids did pushups as well. Day three was known for being the day that laps and other corrective incentives were dished out more frequently and as section leader she imagined she’d be dishing it out a lot with Lonnie. She hoped, no prayed, that Lonnie was going to finally have it click and stop trying to break her ankles, and her patience. 

They started up drills again and Nicole was once again drawn to watching Waverly. Waverly’s shirt had ridden up showing off the peak of her lower abs and the v-dip of her hips into her shorts. This time it was her own feet that tripped and Crofte started laughing which drew everyone’s attention. Shae’s eyes had already been on her before her misstep, not that Nicole would have noticed. 

“HAUGHT! Take a lap!” Shae called out. Nicole groaned, mostly embarrassed that she’d been so distracted she’d tripped but she stepped aside to set her snare down out of the way. “Actually, Haught, make it two.” Nicole shot her head back towards Shae, catching the clear look of irritation across her girlfriends features. She also caught Waverly’s look of concern before she took off at a slow sprint to run around the entire high school that was deemed the lap distance for the week. Her first lap was just irritating but anger had set in her chest as she’d rounded the corner into her second lap. During her second lap she heard the band start warming up and figured box drills were paused for the moment.

She could feel her tank top sticking between her shoulder blades and her thighs were starting to burn from the run. She rejoined her percussion line once she jogged around the corner back to where the band was. She rolled her shoulders, lungs burning as she fit her snare back across her chest. She was really looking forward to the shower soon as she’d gotten Waverly home like she’d promised. She gripped her sticks and counted off at Shae’s direction leading the band into the opening number once before everyone attempted marching and playing simultaneously. 

*********

“Haught,” Shae caught up with her outside in the parking lot as she packed up her snare and backpack. Finally camp had been released for the day and considering how little energy Nicole had left, she was eager to pack up and head out. She still needed to practice her solo for Monday and work on some of the music for the show but she couldn't leave until Waverly was ready to go and Waverly was inside talking with Ms. Lucado about something and had asked Nicole to give her a minute. 

“Hey,” Nicole leaned against her car, trying to not let the delayed irritation of having to run two laps earlier show on her face. The look on Shae’s face made her pause. “Um, what’s up?”

“What's going on between you and that Earp girl?” Shae stood with her hands on her hips and not wasting any time getting into whatever it was that was bothering her. 

She was taken back by the question and it must have been obvious because Shae threw her hands up in irritation before Nicole could respond, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maybe denial?

“You wouldn’t have had to run laps today if you’d kept your focus and not be distracted by her all day,” Shae’s voice lifted in anger. “You were practically burning holes into her during drills.”

“Shae, Waverly is one of my best friends. I’m just making sure she’s getting the steps,” Nicole attempted the partial lie.

“Bullshit,” Shae huffed and turned from her. 

“Whoa, what is your problem?” Nicole felt exposed suddenly, especially as her gaze naturally drew in on Waverly leaving the band room with an excited smile while staring at the piece of paper she held. Shae was very much aware where Nicole's gaze currently laid. 

“You know what? You are my problem. This summer was amazing, you know. Hell, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other but, god, you have never looked at me the way you’ve been looking at Waverly all day,” To prove Shae’s point, she gestured at the way Nicole had just been looking at the person in question. 

Nicole couldn’t deny it, especially so explicitly caught in the act. Waverly was the center of her world. Nicole had known that for a long time now. “God, you’re hopeless aren’t you?” Shae watched as Waverly looked up, beaming at Nicole before her eyes flickered to Shae standing there as well. Even across the parking lot they both could see Waverly’s smile falter a bit before she bounced on her feet and started to make her way to Nicole’s car. “Nicole, we’re done.” 

Nicole started to reach out, concerned at the tears that were building in Shae’s eyes but her hand was slapped away and Shae stormed off. Nicole should have felt something, she did just get dumped, but she honestly it almost felt like relief but Nicole didn’t have time to unpack that.

“Is everything okay?” Waverly asked when she reached Nicole’s car. She’d placed her trumpet and backpack into the back seat and closed the door. Nicole just stared after Shae for a moment. Looking over at Waverly was all the answer she needed to find. Shae was great, had been a distraction for the summer, but dating Shae hadn’t done what Nicole had hoped it would and sadly Shae was now hurting because of it. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Nicole smiled softly, hopeful that her face wasn’t betraying her thoughts, and opened her car door to climb in. “How about tacos for dinner?” 

********

They’d picked up Taco Bell on the way to the homestead and Waverly enthused about Ms. Lucado signed the permission slip that shaped Waverly’s academic year. 

“So you won’t be able to do band practice during the last block but only after school?” Nicole asked for clarification.

“Sadly, but I need the last block so I can take all my core Freshman classes during fall semester, and so long as I pass with B’s or higher, then spring semester I can take my Sophomore core classes and be a Junior next year like I’m supposed to be!” Waverly bounced in the passenger seat, partly turned so she was watching Nicole as they spoke. 

“I get that but you didn’t want to take any electives?” Nicole was surprised a bit at the missed opportunity for French class and a few others that Nicole knew would have interested Waverly.

“I want my life back on track and being a Junior next year and not so far behind you and Wynonna is what I want,” Waverly’s smile faltered a bit. 

Nicole tilted her head to the side and gave Waverly a soft smile, realizing that Waverly just wanted her life back to normal after everything. It meant Waverly was going to have a hectic year, “Well, anything you need Waves, you got.” 

“Maybe a tutor?” Waverly asked hopefully with raised shoulders. 

Nicole wasn’t the smartest but her grades were decent and if Waverly asked, Nicole would get tutored herself just to help Waverly with her homework, “Done deal.” 

********

Nicole was out in the barn and just about ready to snap her sticks in half out of frustration. She’d given up practicing her solo and shifted focus to the show music. The day had finally caught up to her with the terrible sleep, aching muscles, her single status, and fucking Crofte being the reason she had divided focus between her solo and the show when she should have only been focused on one for the week. This was not how she’d day dreamed her Junior year starting off. 

She worked hard to get section leader but Crofte couldn’t stop being a dick long enough to let her enjoy it during camp. Shae was supposed to be the distraction, not Waverly. Everything felt like it was burning in her chest and she just wanted to explode. She wasn’t even paying attention anymore to how hard she was tapping away at her snare until her left stick snapped against the rim and splintered apart. 

“FUCK!” She threw the stick and removed her snare, then kicked at the hay bale beside her. Just the icing on her “shit day” cake. She slumped to the ground and dropped her head to her knees feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Her mind immediately went to the hidden duffle bag in the loft and she got up and climbed the ladder. 

Wynonna found her later where she sat, legs hanging out the loft window, smoke floating in the air from the third cigarette that hung from Nicole’s fingers. The alcohol was left untouched in the duffle bag but Wynonna pulled out the whiskey and popped the cork to take a drink. After a moment Wynonna offered her the bottle and she really contemplated taking a drink from it but she knew that if she started, she’d wake up hungover and then have to be outside in the sun all day tomorrow. She didn’t need to give Shae anymore reason to take out her feelings on her. 

Wynonna shrugged and took another swig, “Normally this is something I’m doing and you join.” 

“Shit day, Wy,” Nicole sighed, taking a drag of her smoke. 

“Girlfriend couldn’t cheer you up with some head?” Wynonna chuckled.

“No girlfriend,” Nicole smashed the spent cigarette out and dropped the bud into her soda bottle.

“Oh shit, dude!” Wynonna slapped Nicole’s arm, “What happened? Seemed you were happy to ditch the family for all that hot lady sex.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes and nearly reached to take out another cigarette but her lungs were already burning and she was mostly going to regret it tomorrow if she’d have to run anymore laps.

“Shae called me out on my shit and dumped me,” Nicole dropped her chin into her knees, arms wrapped around her shins. 

“What shit is that?” Wynonna asked with wide eyes, taking another drink from her whiskey. Nicole's eyes swept towards the house to ensure Gus or Curtis weren’t coming out to bust them. Maybe she was also looking to see if Waverly was around too. When she’d first come up here she’d heard Waverly practicing her trumpet in the backyard but Nicole hadn’t heard her for awhile now. 

“It’s nothing,” Her shoulders slumped and her chest constricted. Mostly because now someone other than herself knows how she feels for Waverly. It wasn’t a closely guarded secret anymore and maybe that secret was starting to eat away at her.

“You cheated!” Wynonna practically yelled, sloshing whiskey out of the bottle in excitement but then scoffed at herself, “No, you’re too noble for that shit.” 

Nicole just rolled her eyes and wondered if Wynonna had dipped into another bottle of something before coming for the lofts supply, “I would never cheat and fuck you for even thinking it.” Okay, so maybe she was still feeling some anger from earlier.

“Shit, I’m close to the answer though from that snappy comment,” Wynonna punched Nicole in the arm and Nicole squeezed her eyes shut. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’ve got it bad for someone that isn’t your girlfriend, or well ex now. That why she dump your ass?” 

Nicole took the bottle from Wynonna and took a deep gulp and winced as it burned down the back of her throat. She coughed a bit, forcing it back into Wynonna’s hand, “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

********

The next morning she woke up with a crick in her neck, a dull pounding in her skull, and irritation still itching underneath her skin. At least Wynonna didn’t step on her spleen as she got out of bed like yesterday morning. Although that was mostly from Wynonna still being passed out, drooling into her pillow. 

She silenced her alarm and grabbed a change of clothes to head into the shared bathroom. Waverly opened the other door as Nicole walked in and dropped her clothes onto the counter. 

“Oh, sorry!” Waverly squeaked, jumping a bit in surprise at Nicole standing in her bathroom. Waverly probably didn’t even realize that Nicole had stayed the night again. She and Wynonna hadn’t crawled back into the house until well after midnight and Waverly had already been asleep. 

“It’s okay,” Nicole rubbed at her eyes, fingers burning them in irritation from the smoke smell that still lingered on them. 

Waverly’s brow furrowed, hand reaching out to touch softly at Nicole’s elbow. The touch of Waverly burned at her skin and Nicole could still feel those fingers pressing into her after she’d jumped back. “You okay?” Waverly’s hand still extended out between them. 

“Mind if I shower before we go?” Nicole pointed to her side hoping to avoid having to answer Waverly. 

“Sure, I can get ready downstairs,” Waverly’s hand dropped and she stepped back into her bedroom. Before she closed the door she looked back at Nicole, “You know you can talk to me right?”

Nicole didn’t meet her eyes, “Yeah.” 

********

Nicole felt Waverly’s touch on her elbow all day, and despite her honest attempts, she still couldn’t take her eyes off Waverly as they did box drills outside while playing through the show. Lonnie managed to clip her ankles a handful of times and at one point, they were both running laps at Shae’s command. 

As the day went on, her grip on her drumsticks got tighter, the scowl on her face keeping her percussion line in check for the most part. She did her best to ignore Crofte’s taunts and focused on teaching her rookies how to do some of the tricks they were incorporating into their performance. The only break she’d gotten during the day was when the sections had all split off to practice for a couple of hours in the later half of the day. Without Shea’s glare on her skin and Waverly pulling her own attention, she could focus on working through the cadence and parts of the show. At least Lonnie was now attempting to count through the numbers correctly. 

At the end of the camp day she waited for Waverly in the parking lot again and Shae made a point to parade across the parking lot on someone’s arm, giving Nicole a look. It was one thing to have Shae know her hopeless crush on Waverly, and another to taunt Nicole the day after with an attempt at jealousy. She pointedly ignored it before she was drawn to the band room door as Waverly, Jeremy and Robin came out. Waverly immediately found her gaze and smiled and it lifted Nicole's spirits all the way across the parking lot. Waverly waved goodbye to her friends before splitting ways to join Nicole at her car. Nicole noticed Robin put his arm around Jeremy’s shoulders as they walked away. 

“Hey!” Waverly practically skipped the last few steps and put her belongings into the back seat through the door Nicole had already opened for her. 

“Hey yourself,” She smiled, vaguely aware that it was probably the first smile of her day. She closed the backdoor and opened the passenger one for Waverly to climb in. Once her legs were inside, Nicole closed the door and walked over to the drivers side. She fell into her seat and smiled again as Waverly was practically beaming at her before clicking her seatbelt into place. She couldn’t quite place the look that Waverly had in her eyes though. 

*******

Friday was a much better day for Nicole but not so much for the band as a whole. Lucado was fuming and at one point the entire band had to take laps around the school. At this point they should have been able to play through half the show without stopping but during three different run throughs, three different sections had managed to significantly mess up their parts. Waverly had matched Nicole’s pace as they’d run the lap around the school together. Nicole didn’t want to admit that it made the lap worth it, but it did. 

By the end of the day the week had caught up with pretty much everyone but Lucado wouldn’t dismiss them until they finally got through all the sections she wanted without any mess ups. Her shoulders burned, not just from her snare but from the sun burn that had set in from the week. Her nerves were starting to bubble up as well, as the weekend was finally upon them, meaning Monday was just around the corner and she’d have to perform in front of the band and hopefully perform her solo better than Crofte. 

They finally dismissed with some parting words to prepare for Monday. They’d be going to the field to start learning drill which was always fun but also hell. She could feel Waverly’s excitement from across the lot before they were all released to head inside to gather their stuff and head out for the weekend. When she’d come back outside with her snare and backpack she stumbled across Shae who had someone pressed against the buildings side wall, tongue in their mouth. Shae pulled away with a smirk as she saw Nicole. 

Nicole just shrugged at her and continued on to her car. Shae dumped her and Nicole really didn’t care for whatever she was up to now because honestly, it saved her from having to be the one to dump Shae. Nicole was finally admitting to herself that she’d only ever have eyes for Waverly. She admitted to herself that she was helplessly doomed as she leaned against her car to wait for Waverly to come outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving the comments and kudos everyone! Thanks for the support for the fic and I look forward to hearing whatever thinks.


	4. Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen....you'll see

It was Saturday, finally, and Waverly was more than happy to sleep in way too late. It was nearly noon before she’d made her way downstairs and was surprised to see Wynonna already awake, dressed, and being somewhat productive. 

“Morning, baby girl,” Wynonna was sorting through school supplies on the coffee table, making neat piles on each end. It was clear to tell which pile was Waverly's from the excess highlighters, sorting tabs, binders and dividers. Wynonna kept her supplies simple; black pens and a few spiral notebooks. 

“What are you doing up so early?” Waverly yawned and shuffled her way into the kitchen to see if any coffee was left in the pot from that morning. 

“Gus wanted an early start on shopping today. We snagged your list and got your supplies too. Hopefully I made good picks for you,” Wynonna stood from the couch to abandon her project to join Waverly in the kitchen. “Gus said she’d take you clothes shopping if you wanted a couple of new outfits for the year too but it’ll have to be later today.” 

“Oh, well that sounds like fun,” Waverly leaned her hip against the counter, sipping at the cold coffee with a wince. The kitchen fell quiet for a moment and Waverly finally noticed the dull hum of one of the farm's machinery. “Curtis here? I thought he was going out of town to look at livestock?” Waverly tried peeking out the kitchen window but wherever the work was being done, couldn’t be seen from the kitchen. 

“Yeah, he won’t be back till Monday. Gus is out at Shorty’s right now to catch up on her work,” Wynonna answered, pulling some cold pizza from the fridge. 

“So whose outside?” Waverly opted to reach for a banana and pulled back the peel. 

“Haughtstuff is knocking out some chores,” Wynonna spoke around a mouthful of pepperoni, cheese, and stale crust. 

“Wait, Nicole is here? Did she stay the night again?” Nicole had dropped Waverly off but hadn’t followed her into the homestead like she normally did if she was hanging around for the night. Waverly hadn’t thought anything of it before disappearing into her room to take a hot shower and pass out from pure exhaustion. She had figured Nicole was going home for the weekend to unwind from the first week of camp. Not that she was complaining because now she’d get to see her favorite person sooner than expected.

“Um, yeah. We hung out in the loft last night,” Wynonna plopped down into a kitchen chair, kicking her feet up on the table. Waverly swatted at her foot as she sat down across from her to eat her banana. 

“Like you did the other night? Don't think I couldn’t smell the whiskey and smoke on her. Is she hungover today too?” Waverly gave Wynonna a pointed look, not too proud of the influence Wynonna could have on Nicole, but she couldn’t put the whole blame on her sister, Nicole was her own person too. Waverly couldn’t shake the memory of seeing the look on Nicole’s face in the bathroom though, almost haunted but definitely pained. “Is she ok?” 

Wynonna seemed to sense the last question was more about Nicole in whole and not about a possible hangover, “She’ll be fine. I think she’s just had a tough week. Seemed more than happy to start mucking out the barn when Gus and I left this morning.” 

Waverly finished off her banana in two bites and tossed the peel into the compost bin, “Well, I’m just going to go say good morning and see if she wants something to eat soon.” It was a weak excuse to get changed and go spend time with Nicole as quickly as possible. 

“Yeah yeah, I’m not surprised. You’re always eager to leave me to spend time with my best friend over me,” It was mocking in tone, but Wynonna truly didn’t know how much Waverly actually preferred Nicole’s company over anyone else. Waverly only looked back but kept her retort to herself before turning to head upstairs to put on appropriate clothes. 

When Waverly found Nicole outside she was busy placing new hay into the stalls in the barn. The dark blue tank top clung deliciously to the tight crevices of Nicole’s muscles, instantly attracting Waverly’s gaze to the plane of abs she knew Nicole sported. The dark jeans hugged at Nicole's hips and thighs and Waverly’s mouth went dry. She loved watching Nicole work and honestly how had anyone who’d caught her staring not known how bad she had it for the redhead? 

Nicole grunted as she tossed a bale of hay into the next stall before grabbing the rake to spread it out. Waverly took the extra moment, hidden in the doorway to watch. She was completely transfixed in the muscles of Nicole’s shoulders and biceps and then the rippling in her forearms as she worked that she hadn’t caught on that Nicole was turned more towards Waverly and smirking. 

“See something you like?” Nicole stepped out of the stall, leaning the rake up against the wall. Waverly was busted and she just sputtered like a fish out of water as Nicole took a rag from her back pocket to wipe at the sweat collected on her brow and then her neck.

Waverly’s eyes couldn’t stop tracking the movement and she felt the heat of caught embarrassment rise from her chest into her cheeks, “Ugh, good morning.” 

“It’s like one in the afternoon,” Nicole’s laugh, sweet as honey, snapped Waverly out of her entirely inappropriate gaze. 

“Right,” Waverly stepped into the barn properly and walked up to lean against the next stall as Nicole continued with her work. “I didn’t realize you stayed last night. Wynonna didn’t get you into any late night trouble again did she?” 

Nicole cocked her head to the side but then shook her head, “No trouble. We just hung out and I worked on my solo some.” 

“If you’re going to be staying here again, like before, we should really pull your cot out of the attic to put back in Wynonna’s room,” Waverly suggested. 

Nicole shrugged and Waverly knew it wasn’t the time to bring up Nicole’s living situation. Not that it was much of a situation at all. Nicole’s parents were never home to be a problem but she knew how lonely she got every night with an empty house. Nicole had confessed as much one night a long time ago. She was always welcomed on the homestead though, Gus and Curtis made sure that was known all the time. 

“Probably wouldn’t hurt. I’ll have a shit week if I sleep on the floor anymore,” Nicole confessed. Waverly would take care of it as soon as she went back inside. Nicole continued working and for a moment Waverly got caught up in a daydream that had her running her fingers over taunt sweaty muscles in an effort to be the cause of those delicious grunts falling from Nicole’s mouth. 

It was a painfully long moment before she realized that the image of Nicole in her head was now standing inches in front of her and calling her name, not too far off to how Waverly had just been imagining it. “Huh?” 

Nicole smiled, that half cocky smile that made Waverly’s knees buckle, “I was just asking if you were okay. You kind of dazed off there for a minute.” 

Waverly cleared her throat, her vision focusing again on the person in front of her. She was suddenly acutely aware of how close Nicole was as her hand reached out to wrap her fingers around Nicole's sweat slick forearm. With a sudden surge of daydream fueled adrenaline, she pulled and Nicole was in Waverly’s space enough that she could feel the heat emanating from Nicole’s body. Her other hand splayed against Nicole’s abdomen, abs dancing under her firm touch. 

“Waverly,” Nicole visibly gulped but she didn’t pull away. That had to mean something right? That Waverly wasn’t imagining the pull they had? That perhaps Nicole might feel the same way too? Waverly didn’t want to waste her new found bravery and surged forward, hands now wrapping around Nicole’s neck to pull her down as she lifted onto her toes. 

She never believed Chrissy, or her other friends, that she would see sparks or that her toes would go numb but here she was, lips pressed against Nicole’s and it was a thunderous beating of her heart against her ribcage at the sensation. Nicole hadn’t pulled back, hadn’t stopped her. Nicole was actually kissing her back. Their faces titled together, lips parting and eager. Warm fingers splayed against her waist, firm like when Nicole helped her learn how to flank earlier in the week. Her knees trembled and she broke their kiss to take in a much needed breath. Nicole’s lips followed hers, grazing against them softly but then Nicole was stepping back, out of Waverly’s grasp and disappointment struck low in her gut. Her body naturally followed Nicole but a strong grip at her waist pushed her back. 

“Nicole,” Waverly started but the shake of Nicole’s head and the hands at her waist falling away made her heart still in dread. 

“Someone’s coming,” Nicole’s head turned towards the barn door and sure enough Wynonna was stomping her way in, sack of whatever tossed over her shoulder. 

“What are you two doing?” Wynonna looked at them with a tilted head. Waverly tried to subtly smooth out her shirt and reign in nerves that were making her fingers tremble. 

“I was just telling Nicole we should drag out her old cot if she’s going to be staying here more often,” Waverly tried to supply the last thing she remembered talking about before giving in and pulling Nicole into herself. 

“Uh huh,” Wynonna headed towards the lofts ladder, “Probably not a bad idea baby girl. Nicole makes for an awkward throw rug and I’m tired of stepping on her.” 

“You could remember that I’m sleeping on your floor,” Nicole folded her arms across her chest. 

“We both know I don’t think in the morning,” Wynonna started up the ladder best she could with one hand on the bag she was dragging behind herself. Waverly briefly heard the clinking of glass and prayed it wasn’t more liquor that Wynonna was sneaking up there. 

“I don’t imagine you think at all sometimes,” Waverly supplied before Wynonna just grunted in response and continued up to the loft. 

She looked back at Nicole who was twisting the rake in her hands, chewing on her bottom lip that looked swollen from their kiss just moments ago. Their eyes met and Nicole released her bottom lip from her teeth. Waverly’s gaze was drawn to it, wanting to pull it between her own teeth. She moved to do so but Nicole stiffened, eyes darting up to the loft where Wynonna was stumbling around and making all sorts of noise. 

“I should finish the last couple of stalls,” Nicole moved to pull the next hay bale into the stall beside her. Waverly tried not to let dread settle into the pit of her stomach but she couldn’t help it. She’d kissed Nicole, the one thing she’d been fantasizing about for months and she’d done it. Her daydreams didn’t compare to the feeling of soft lips against her own or warm hands pulling tightly at her waist. 

Nicole must have caught something in the look on Waverly’s face because she reached out, finger tips glancing against the back of Waverly’s hand, “We can talk later?” Waverly let her smile be the answer, twisting her hand to squeeze at Nicole’s briefly. Her eyes darted to the loft before she turned to head out of the barn figuring Nicole could get done faster if she wasn’t distracting her. 

********

Nicole was unable to focus after Waverly left the barn. Although busy work was the best thing she could do at the moment since her mind was racing with everything. She’d mucked out these stalls so many times now she didn’t really have to think about what she was doing. She only had a couple left before Waverly had snuck up on her, watching her work for however long, but Nicole had known she was there. How could she not? Waverly was her center of gravity, always pulling and always searching. 

That gravity was impossible to deny when Waverly gripped her arm and pulled but then Nicole was the force of attraction as Waverly moved, bold and upwards with strong hands at the back of her neck until soft lips slanted against her own. It was everything and it crushed and ripped and burned against her chest. Even now she could still feel the ghost of Waverly’s lips against her own, fingers at the edge of her jaw pulling. 

She’d heard Wynonna slam her truck door just outside the barn and Nicole had to push back against that pull and it was the strongest thing she felt she’d ever done. The look of doubt in Waverly’s eyes had struck against her heart that rattled in her chest until she pointed out that they weren’t going to be alone for long. How had Waverly not heard Wynonna coming? Maybe it was just that Nicole was acutely aware of her presence with the Earp sisters, always on guard least Wynonna figured out Nicole’s apparent feelings for her sister. 

She’d finished the stalls a short time later, muscles burning in a pleasant distraction she’d been eager for earlier in the day. Wynonna had disappeared after stashing whatever she’d dragged up into the loft and as Nicole left the barn with her promised chores finished, Waverly was stepping out of the homestead with Gus. 

“Hey hon,” Gus greeted as she and Waverly headed towards Gus’s truck, “Need any supplies in town for school? You can ride along.” 

“Oh, I’m good ma’am,” Nicole wiped at the sweat on her neck.

“Well alright dear. I’m taking Waverly for some shopping. We’ll probably pick up some food on the way back. You’re welcome to the tv or anything else if you plan to stay,” Gus pulled open her truck door and Nicole was warmed by the feeling of home that this family so welcomingly invited her into. Waverly gave her a shy smile and small wave that Nicole returned equally before watching Gus drive off with dust kicked up down the driveway. 

She kicked her boots off by the front door so she wouldn’t trudge mud and muck into the house and went upstairs to grab her bag for a change of clothes, looking forward to a cooling shower. She almost wasn’t surprised to find her old cot already set up against the empty wall in Wynonna’s room with one of the many extra blankets from Waverly’s room and a pillow. It was an old familiar sight from when she practically lived here after everything that had happened.

Waverly must have pulled the cot out after coming back in from the barn. It was something she pondered while she showered, the morning on repeat in her mind. Waverly meant to pull her close, meant to kiss her like she had. Maybe Nicole was realizing that every time she sought out Waverly, that Waverly was already looking back. Despite the cold shower her lips still felt warm. 

********

She’d laid out on the cot after her shower and just as she’d started to doze off her phone had buzzed against her abdomen. 

Waves: IMAGE

Nicole clicked it open and the smile was instantaneous. Waverly was in a changing booth, back to the mirror in a selfie so Nicole could see the front and back of the outfit she was trying on. The shirt looks soft and hangs off Waverly’s shoulders, paired with some dark jeans that flare out.

Waves: What do you think? 

Nicole: You look amazing

Waves: New me?

Nicole: Do you want to be a new you? 

Waves: Not at all.  
Waves: IMAGE

Nicole opened the new picture and it was another outfit that made Nicole pause. The shirt clung tight and the jeans hugged just right and her mouth went dry.

Nicole: Wow

Waves: You like this one?

Nicole: I don’t think anyone would be able to take their eyes off you if they saw you. 

Waves: Maybe I’m just interested in your eyes ;)

Nicole: Waverly Earp!  
Nicole: I always see you. 

********

Nicole napped and when she woke Wynonna, Waverly, and Gus were all back at the homestead. Nicole and Waverly didn’t have the opportunity to talk for the rest of the night. It turned into a family night, only missing Curtis, as they all had dinner together and played some card games before Nicole excused herself out to the barn to practice some more. 

Waverly had come out shortly after Nicole but before they could even get past just smiling at each other Wynonna had joined them. So Nicole practiced her solo and the cadence and the harder parts of the show. She practiced till her palms were numb and Waverly was trying her hardest not to fall asleep despite the loud taps of her snare. 

Sunday didn’t really fare any better either as Nicole’s chores took her out to the far reaches of the Earp land to work on part of the fence. When she’d come back and cleaned the supplies out of the ATV, Waverly was gone for practice with some of her section members. So Nicole took some time to pack their supplies for Monday and made sure to include some field markers for Waverly (Mason Jar lids were an easy go to and Nicole wrote their names on them in sharpie) and before Nicole could go back to practicing, Wynonna had dragged her up into the loft. 

Nicole was talked into taking a few shots since her nerves were starting to bubble up again. The sun was set and tomorrow was Monday. First day of hell week and Crofte’s challenge and it was all she could do to breath and try to calm her nerves. 

“You’re going to kick his ass tomorrow and if he somehow wins the vote, I’ll hit him with my truck,” Wynonna offered the bottle back to Nicole who took another deep swig. The bottle was half way gone by the time a car was pulling up the drive and Waverly was getting out with her instrument case. Nicole thought she recognized one of the sophomore’s, Nathan or something like that. He waved goodbye to Waverly and paused catching Nicole with her legs hanging out the loft window. He nodded towards Nicole before driving off. She looked back towards Waverly, not surprised to see her already looking back. 

“HEY, BABY GIRL” Wynonna stuck her head out the loft window, Nicole securing her back with a firm grip on her shoulder. Waverly rolled her eyes, hard and Nicole managed to pull Wynonna back inside without any mishap. 

Nicole pulled her phone out and waved it where Waverly seemed to understand that she’d have an incoming message. 

Nicole: We’ll talk tomorrow. I promise. 

Waves: I hope so  
Waves: Because I want to kiss you again

And that was almost enough for Nicole to leave Wynonna’s drunk ass in the loft and go sneak down to Waverly’s room. The only thing that stopped her was that Gus was home and the homestead had very thin walls, and if she kissed Waverly, she wasn’t sure she could be quiet about it. 

********

Waverly couldn’t help the bubble of excitement as her alarm finally went off in the morning. She’d woken up naturally, just a bit before her alarm and just spent the time tossing and thinking of Nicole who was just across the hallway. She silenced her alarm and bounced from her mattress to get dressed quickly. Her bag was already downstairs by the door and she wasn’t surprised to be the first downstairs so she made a plate of toast and grabbed an apple to munch on while the coffee brewed. 

“Morning,” Nicole's voice was raspy as it echoed through the kitchen. Waverly turned, mouth full of crisp apple and she licked some of the juice from her lip as Nicole leaned against the doorframe, eyes still half closed and yawn at her lips. She was breathtaking and as Nicole noticed Waverly’s stare she saw the pink rise to the tips of Nicole’s ears. 

“Good Morning,” Waverly breathed before her attention snapped to the toast as it sprung up from the slots in the toaster. 

Nicole stepped into the kitchen, plating the toast and leaned against the counter before shoving half a piece of bread into her mouth with a crunch. Waverly giggled as crumbs collected at the corner of Nicole’s lips. She didn’t hesitate, not now, now that they’d kissed once and Waverly had a new found bravery resting in her chest. Boldly she reached up to brush the crumbs away. Nicole went still at the touch. 

Not a sound echoed through the homestead so Waverly was confident that Wynonna was still passed out and this early Gus must have already been out to either do chores or had gone to work. So she used her grip on the counter to help boost herself up and brushed her lips softly against Nicole’s. The sharp inhale of breath hit sharp and Waverly felt Nicole’s touch feather light at her waist before pulling and then they were flush together, lips canted against each other. Waverly brought her free hand to ghost across Nicole’s jaw before gripping at the back of her neck to keep her close. 

The kiss was borderline soft but with the promise of more as Nicole gasped against her. The pounding of her heart in her chest threatened to alert anyone who could hear it that this moment was everything to her. Nicole shifted, pushing but gently, until Waverly was backed against the counter and Nicole’s hands framed her face and the kiss shifted deeper. Waverly moved to wrap her arms around strong shoulders, fingers splayed against the soft skin exposed from Nicole’s tank top.

Nicole pulled back, taking a deep breath, resting her forehead against Waverly’s. She felt a small victory that Nicole didn’t pull back, didn’t immediately put space between, “I thought we were going to talk?” 

“I would much rather kiss you,” Waverly admitted. Nicole chuckled with a surprised breath. 

“Can we talk about that?” The question was whispered and Waverly pulled a little tighter at the skin beneath her hands. 

“Should I not have?” Doubt was quick to set in her gut and her hands faltered at Nicole’s shoulders. 

Nicole leaned forward, softly connecting their lips for a breath then returned to connecting their foreheads, “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time Waverly Earp. I just didn’t want to risk some things.” 

Things; oh god, things like Shae, Nicole’s girlfriend and it felt like the floor was ripping out from under them. Waverly pulled back, putting some distance between them and Nicole must have sensed the shift because she took two steps back, “I’m sorry, I should have considered the things.” 

“Wynonna is my best friend and you’re her sister and after everything, I just, I don’t want to jeopardize that,” Nicole dropped the half eaten toast on the plate and nervously brushed the crumbs from her hand. 

“You’re worried about Wynonna?” It just wasn’t the first concern that Waverly thought would be addressed, “I thought...um, what about Shae?”

“We broke up last week,” Nicole confessed and Waverly felt that dread seep from her bones and the floor became solid beneath her again. She hadn’t put Nicole in an awkward position after all. Though there was still Wynonna and that seemed to be a big concern for Nicole. 

“Oh,” Waverly took a step forward, hand reaching for Nicole’s and smiled as Nicole reached back, their fingers lacing together, “But Wynonna?”

“She’ll kick my ass if she knew this was going on and I don’t know if I could survive if she hated me,” The confession hung between them for a moment. 

“I think Wynonna would come around,” Waverly pulled and Nicole was back in her space, “Especially if she knew just how happy you make me.” 

“Me?” Nicole seemed almost surprised but then leaned forward to kiss her softly again. 

“Yes, you silly,” Waverly brought their joined hands up to her chest. The smile she received nearly split her chest in two. 

The alarm from Nicole’s phone disrupted the moment and they jumped apart shocked, “Shit, we’ve got to head out or we’ll be late and today is not the day to be late.” 

Nicole went to grab the toast and shoved it into her mouth before turning to grab Waverly’s bag and instrument case by the door. They loaded up quickly and the nerves of the day started to catch up with them both. It was a handful of minutes before they were pulling out of the homestead and heading towards the high school. 

“Waverly,” Nicole started and Waverly could feel the nerves across the console so she reached across, taking her hand into hers and lacing their fingers, “I want to keep kissing you and being more, maybe, if that’s what you want.”

“I would like that very much,” Waverly couldn’t stop the smile from the sheer joy that raised through her chest. Nicole, the one person who saw Waverly, truly saw her, and they wanted to keep kissing each other. Nicole wanted to keep kissing her. Nicole wanted more. 

“Just, um, would it maybe be okay if we kept this to ourselves for now?” Nicole gripped a little tighter at their joined hands and honestly Waverly was okay to have Nicole to herself for now. 

“I’m okay with that Nicole, really. I’m happy to have you all to myself,” Waverly was certain that was the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was almost a very different chapter but I've been reading so much slow burn right now that I just couldn't do it so we're going a different direction. 
> 
> I can't wait to hear your thoughts and next update we get back to band camp.


	5. Showdown

Soon as they had reached the parking lot Nicole was tense again and had dropped Waverly’s hand. Band kids were spilled out into the parking lot and everyone seemed to be hyped up for the first day of week two. Waverly couldn’t help it either, she was also extremely excited. It was time to learn the drill and get to be out on the field actually marching. 

“Be sure to put on plenty of sunscreen and hydrate. I don’t need Wynonna or Gus ripping me a new one because you pass out or get burnt,” Normally she’d expect a teasing smile from Nicole for her concern but it was all seriousness as Nicole pulled out their backpacks and instruments. 

“Remember that yourself, you’ve already got blistered skin just from last week,” Waverly took her trumpet case and backpack and looked pointedly at the exposed skin of Nicole’s shoulders. Waverly didn’t read much into Nicole’s sudden mood. She knew how important today was and if Waverly had a good guess, the solo challenge probably wouldn’t be till the end of the day. Likely, Nicole was going to be this way all day, “Hey, whatever happens today, it's going to be okay.” 

She placed her hand on Nicole’s arm and it seemed to do the trick. Nicole closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again to meet Waverly’s reassuring gaze with a soft smile, “Thanks, Waves.” 

Waverly really wanted to kiss her but they were keeping this to themselves. So, instead, she gave Nicole’s arm a reassuring squeeze and made plans to make up for all the missed kisses today by getting Nicole alone later that night. 

They made their way into the band room and Nicole disappeared into Ms. Lucado’s office while Waverly went to join her section. No one had their instruments pulled out so Waverly left hers in its case next to her backpack. 

“Morning! Today is the day!” Robin greeted her with a quick hug, clearly bubbled up with excitement.

“I’m super excited and super nervous,” Waverly confessed. Robin had his binder pulled out and Waverly noticed everyone else did as well. Section leaders were going around their groups and handing out pieces of paper. Waverly noticed Nicole came out of Lucado’s office with a large stack that looked like what the others were handing out. 

Conner, their section leader, made his way to them after a few long minutes and proceeded to give them a stack of papers each, “Don’t let these get out of order or lose them. If you do you will be doing push ups and running laps. Up in the right corner is the page numbers for the order. Left corner is your assigned marker. I suggest highlighting your spot on each page so you know where you go. Once we’re on the field I’ll help you guys read the pages and learn how to find your spots. I hope you remembered to pack something to mark the field with, otherwise it’s going to be a long day.” 

Waverly nodded numbly, realizing she hadn’t packed anything to use as field markers. Maybe she could use highlighters and spare socks from her bag? Anything had to be better than nothing. She excused herself from Robin’s side and went to retrieve her binder and a highlighter from her bag. In the pocket, with her pencils and such, she found a handful of mason jar lid inserts that had her name written in sharpie. She traced the loop of the ‘y’ at the end of her name and recognized the scrawl as Nicole’s. That amazing human being had packed field markers for her. 

She scanned the room and saw Nicole finishing up handing out the stack of papers to her percussion line. They all seemed to be listening to her intently and Waverly felt pride in her chest. She pulled out a highlighter and scanned the pages to find where T14 was located on each page before marking it and moving on to the next. They’d been given a total of 20 drill pages but according to the number count at the top they’d receive 74 total. 

She seemed to be one of the few to find herself quickly on the pages so she’d helped Robin and a couple of the other trumpet rookies find their marks and let them use her highlighter as they went. The images on the pages were really cool and she imagined if she treated it like a flip book she could see how it would look moving on the field from the stands perspective. At eight sharp Lucado left her office and called the band to attention.

“Devils!” 

“Good Morning everyone. Welcome to the second week of camp. This week is going to be busy as we have a lot of ground to cover so I expect all of you at your best. This week you’ll all be getting fitted for uniforms, we have pictures on Friday, and I expect to have the majority of the drill learned and be able to play through the show before we break at the end of this week. Remember to hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate! I don’t want to see any of you passing out on the field because you’ve been chugging energy drinks all day like a bunch of morons. Now, we are going to be heading down to the field. Once on the field Ms. Pressman will be leading you all in warm ups and then section leaders and our instructors will be showing you all how to read your drills sheets and pacing you all out on the field. By lunch I want to be able to get through the first 5 pages. Dismissed!” 

The room erupted into motion as Ms. Lucado stepped down from the podium. Waverly grabbed her backpack and binder and followed her section, and the reset of the band, down to the practice football field. It was mostly chaos once everyone got to the field until section leaders could wrangle their groups together. Warm ups for the morning were a bit grueling but it got their blood pumping and everyone was definitely awake after fifty pushups, fifty jumping jacks, and running two laps. Sadly, Waverly didn’t have any view of Nicole from where the trumpets were sectioned.

Conner and one of the instructors came to each of them and showed them how to read their drill sheets to know how to mark off on the field where they should be. Luckily, Robin seemed to be next to Waverly for all 20 pages so they could use each other as field guides. They marked their location for 3 pages by using their field markers, and seeing the handful of rookies who didn’t have any running laps, Waverly was even more charmed that Nicole had made sure Waverly was covered.

They would march from start to point two and then reset. After a handful of resets they added in point three and then they would reset to point two. Shae stood up on her podium, cowbell in hand, striking out the beat for their march. By lunch they’d managed to learn the first five pages of drill. It was a bit unnerving to imagine remembering all 74 pages. She was already so nervous of messing up just the first 5. 

Waverly was thrilled when they were back in the band room and out from standing in the blazing sun, once they were released for their lunch break. She immediately reapplied her sunscreen as soon as they sat down for lunch and eagerly ate her sandwich while Robin and Jeremy shared what they had gotten up to over the weekend. Without conscious thought about it her gaze was constantly scanning the bandroom for a certain splash of red hair, especially when Jeremy had inquired what she had done over the weekend. She tried to not blush at the thought of finally kissing Nicole and going after what she’d wanted for so long. She kept that information to herself though and just brushed off her weekend as uneventful. It wasn’t till the near end of lunch that she’d finally spotted Nicole in the far corner, her lunch was half eaten, and she was tapping her drumsticks against her thighs. She was hoping Nicole would look up at her so she could reassure her with a smile but Nicole’s focus never left her thighs as Waverly recognized the rhythm as part of her solo. 

********

It was the end of the day and Waverly’s body ached and her skin felt hot from the sun. So far she hadn’t burnt as her skin quickly tanned from the exposure, but it didn’t stop it from feeling a bit raw at this point in her day. The band was gathered into their sections and sitting on the field. Nicole and Perry each stood near the front with their snares on while all the section leaders sat on the sidelines in front of Lucado who was up on the podium next to Shae. 

“Alright, Crofte as the challenger you’ll be going first then Haught. Section leaders and Ms. Pressman will vote after and we’ll go from there. Crofte, whenever you’re ready,” Ms. Lucado folded her arms over her chest and Waverly felt ready to throw up from nerves and she wasn’t even performing. 

Perry and Nicole turned to face each other and Nicole stood straight, sticks in hand, and stood at parade rest as Perry began his solo. Waverly didn’t really know what to look for but having watched Nicole practice all week she was not as impressed as she thought she should have been. She was even pretty sure she saw Perry fumble his sticks and he didn’t do any cool tricks like Nicole had practiced. Even still, Perry didn’t look worried as he finished. 

After a respectful few seconds Nicole tapped her sticks and then began. Rat-a-tat rat-a-tat ratta-tatta-tat-tat. Nicole spun her sticks, flipped them at one point, and never once stumbled. It was perfect just like Nicole practiced every evening in the barn. Once she had started all that tension in Nicole’s shoulders seemed to dissolve, and anyone who knew Nicole worth a damn, knew that in this moment she was killing it. Nicole ended with a flourish and tucked her sticks back into the starting position. She didn’t smirk or show any emotion as they both turned to face their peers. 

Waverly couldn’t see much from where she was sitting but the quiet that had settled over the band as a whole let Waverly hear the vote clearly. She was not expecting what happened next; 

“Haught”

“Haught”

“Crofte”

“Crofte”

“Crofte”

“Haught”

“Haught”

“Crofte”

It was tied, now down to Shae’s vote to be the tie breaker and Waverly could not wrap her head around the clear divide of votes. Waverly’s heart twisted as Nicole’s shoulders tightened with each vote for Crofte. Nicole was pointedly looking straight ahead, not making eye contact with Shae or Ms. Lucado at the top of the drum major podium. 

“Crofte.” 

The band was silent but it wasn’t missed that everyone looked confused between themselves. Nicole had been the better performer and she didn't think it was common knowledge yet that Shae and Nicole had broken up although that would probably be spread throughout the band now. Waverly wanted to run to Nicole but it wasn’t the time or place. Ms. Lucado looked between the two snare players and then Shae and Waverly couldn't quite get a read on Lucado’s face. 

“Crofte, Haught, my office before you leave to discuss this. Alright band, everyone bring your black socks tomorrow and a change of clothes, preferably what you’ll be wearing under uniform. We start fittings tomorrow. Band dismissed!” 

It wasn’t silent anymore, a soft roar of whispers rolled over the field as everyone stood from their spots to gather their items and leave, all discussing what just happened. Waverly tried to reach Nicole but she never turned around, instead heading straight for the band room with her snare tucked up and sticks at her side. Perry seemed to be taking his sweet time to follow, considering Ms. Lucado wanted to see them. Although, Lucado was talking to Shae on the podium and Waverly caught the end of a glare that she thought was pointed in her direction. 

“What was that all about?” Robin whispered beside her as they gathered their field markers and supplies before following the rest of the band make their way back up the hill. 

“I don’t know but it was clearly weird right? Nicole was way better,” Waverly noticed Robin’s nod in agreement.

“Pretty sure I saw Crofte drop his stick, right?” Robin questioned.

“I saw that too.” 

********

Most of the band had already left as Waverly waited outside, sitting on the trunk of Nicole’s car. Pretty much the only vehicles left in the lot she assumed were Crofte’s, Ms. Lucado’s, and perhaps an instructor or two. Waverly had sent off a couple of texts to Wynonna updating her on the solo and that they hadn’t left yet so not to expect them soon. She also sent a few texts to her bestie, Chrissy. 

She managed to chat with Chrissy for a bit, who was updating Waverly on all the fun and drama of cheer camp, before the band room doors slammed open and both Nicole and Perry stormed out. Even across the parking lot Waverly could sense both of their sour moods. The conversation must not have been pleasant. Waverly hopped off the trunk as Nicole stomped over and noticed that Nicole didn’t have her snare with her tonight. 

“Hey,” Waverly greeted but frowned when Nicole only huffed and hastily opened her trunk to toss in her backpack and Waverly’s. Nicole slammed the trunk closed with more force than needed and Waverly tried to reach to touch her arm but Nicole sidestepped and entered the drivers side of the car. Okay, so Nicole was pissed. Waverly had only seen this once before but normally Nicole kept her anger in check. The breath that left her lungs made her chest feel empty as she followed to drop down into the passenger seat. 

Nicole was quiet as she drove them through town and out towards the homestead, they made a stop at McDonalds for their after camp snack, but placing their order were the only words Nicole had said since they got in the car. Waverly wanted to breach the silence with the topic that hung in the air between them. Instead she took the risk and reached across the console to take Nicole’s hand in hers. She was mostly prepared for Nicole to pull back but sighed in relief as Nicole instead laced their fingers together immediately. 

They were almost to the homestead when Nicole finally spoke, “Sorry, Waves. I just haven’t been that pissed in awhile. Needed to calm down.” 

Waverly nodded, squeezing Nicole’s palm, “Can you tell me what happened?” 

“Ugh,” Nicole tapped angrily at the steering wheel, “Just band politics at its worst. Crofte must have gotten his buddies to vote for him no matter how much better I was. Lucado saw through it and apparently it’s no longer a solo but a duet.” 

Oh. Well that kind of made sense because Nicole was loads better than Perry but Waverly had hoped that those in a leadership position would have acted better than that, “I’m sorry, Nicole, but at least it’s a duet now?” 

The fingers slotted through hers slackened a bit as Nicole let out a deep breath, “I guess.” 

Maybe that hadn’t been the right thing to say at the moment, “I am sorry. Your performance was amazing.” 

“He dropped his fucking sticks and they still voted for him,” Nicole huffed, hitting at the steering wheel, “And he gets fucking rewarded for it still. How the hell am I supposed to do a duet with his smug ass when all I want to do is knock out his teeth?” 

Waverly didn’t really have an answer to that. She had no idea what she would do if it was her own situation but she fully understood Nicole’s anger and an idea popped into her head as they pulled onto the homestead land. She scanned the driveway quickly and happily noticed that both Wynonna and her aunt and uncle weren’t home yet. 

“How about you come inside and I take your mind off of it?” Waverly suggested. 

Nicole cocked an eyebrow and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips, “What did you have in mind?” 

“Well, looks like no one is home. Maybe we could change out of these clothes, put something on the tv, and cuddle?” Waverly suggested innocently. Maybe cuddling wasn’t all she had in mind but she wasn’t sure she could just voice what she really wanted just yet.

“Hmm, I had planned on going back to my place tonight but I suppose I could stay for awhile,” Nicole brought their intertwined hands up and placed a soft kiss at Waverly’s knuckles. The flutter inside her gut made her swallow, her eyes tracking those soft lips against her skin. They were still in the first twenty-four hours of the new development of their relationship and Waverly was still in awe, shocked, that this was a thing between them now. That she had found the courage to go after what she’d wanted. Suddenly, she was hyper-aware of her nerves. 

Nicole turned the car off and gathered the sack of fries and apple pies as well as their backpacks out of the trunk. She’d come back around the car to grab Waverly’s hand and they walked up to the front door in step. The house was indeed vacant as Waverly suspected. She couldn’t remember when Gus or Curtis said they’d be home tonight and who knew where Wynonna was but Waverly wasn’t going to let the rare opportunity pass them by. 

Nicole changed in Wynonna’s room as Waverly picked out some clean, comfy, and hopefully as cute as she thought, pajamas. Nicole was already on the couch, feet propped up on the ottoman, now dressed in sweat shorts and a worn shirt, when Waverly made her way downstairs with a DVD in hand from her private collection in her room. 

“Continuing our Friends re-watch?” Nicole noticed the select disc in Waverly’s hand as she turned on the tv and started up the DVD player. Wynonna would give Waverly crap about the DVDs when they could just stream it from Netflix but Waverly didn’t trust the spotty Wi-Fi they got out here most days so she’d cherished the DVD sets that Curtis had gotten her. 

“I thought it would be a good pick to get your mind off the day,” Waverly grabbed the remote and joined Nicole on the couch, briefly wondering about the amount of space she should keep between them on the cushions but decided to be bold and sat nearly flush next to Nicole. It seemed to be a good choice as Nicole immediately lifted her arm to rest on the back of the couch behind Waverly, allowing her to fall into Nicole’s side to cuddle. 

“Is this okay?” Nicole’s voice was soft. The question was sweet and Waverly understood the need to reassure themselves in the new development of their relationship. 

“This is kind of what I had in mind when I suggested you come inside,” Waverly admitted, hitting play on the remote and tossing it aside so she could focus both hands on her current plan. She took Nicole’s hand that was behind her, lacing their fingers together, and placed her other on Nicole’s thigh beside her, “Is this okay?”

Nicole smiled, eyes closing briefly, “Waves, this is perfect.” Gosh, was it perfect. They’d relaxed into the couch, sort of paying attention to the episode that was playing, and Waverly rubbed her thumbs in circles against Nicole’s skin. Her nerves were sort of settling but each time Nicole would brush her thumb against the back of Waverly’s hand the fluttering would start up again. As time passed they settled more against each other, Waverly now resting her weight into Nicole’s side, the arm on the back of the couch was now wrapped securely across Waverly’s shoulders, and Waverly’s legs were up on the ottoman and she was teasing her foot against Nicole’s leg where it could reach. 

She could feel the gaze on her as she continued to tease what flesh she could against Nicole’s. She feigned a stretch so she could twist a bit more into Nicole’s side in an attempt to better align herself up for what she wanted. 

“Hey Waves,” Nicole sighed into Waverly’s temple and at her hum she continued, “I know you kissed me first, and this so far has been entirely at your speed, but I want you to know that everything from here on out is at your pace. I don’t want you to feel like I expect anything or that I would pressure you into anything.” 

Waverly looked up and locked eyes with mocha ones. She wasn’t surprised by the honest depth that she was met with. Nicole was the kindest, most thoughtful person she’d ever known. How could she not fall for her best friend when that person was Nicole Haught? 

“There’s a lot of things I want Nicole. I know I kind of jumped you in the barn, and in the kitchen, and I really want to jump you now but I don’t want you to feel pressured either,” Waverly tilted up to read Nicole a bit better and felt relief at the smile that Nicole wore. 

“Waves, I’ve wanted to kiss you since before everything but I-, “Nicole closed her eyes and let out a breath, “I guess I just kept chickening out.” 

The admission took Waverly a bit by surprise. She knew what time Nicole referenced but she hadn’t realized they’d both been pinning after each other for nearly the same amount of time. How would things be different now if Willa and her father hadn’t...she stopped her thought before it could turn her mood sour. 

“You don’t have to chicken out anymore. You can kiss me whenever you want,” Waverly smiled at the spoken consent. 

“Any time I want?” Nicole tilted forward, smile turning coy now. Waverly nodded, breath hitched in her throat at the dwindling distance between them. “Hmm,” Nicole surged forward then, lips pressing into Waverly’s. Their grip on each other tightened as soon as their lips brushed together. It wasn’t as desperate as the one in the barn and the kitchen had been. This time it was soft, exploring, as they figured they had plenty of time to explore each other now that some things had been admitted out loud. 

She breathed each chance she could as their lips parted to slant against each other in a different angle. She’d released Nicole’s hand from her own in favor of running that hand up to cup at Nicole’s cheek before slipping her fingers into the hair at the base of Nicole’s neck. Nicole’s wrapped around her back, pulling Waverly as flush as she could from their twisted angle against each other. Waverly twisted her hip, thigh coming to rest on top of Nicole’s but it allowed for more comfort as they continued to breathe each other in. 

Nicole nipped at Waverly’s lower lip, before soothing it with the tip of her tongue. Arousal sparked low in Waverly’s gut and she contemplated twisting further till she rested in Nicole’s lap. Just as she was about to make her move, Nicole pulled back gasping. Waverly brought her other hand, that had been teasing patterns into Nicole’s thigh, to grip at the other side of Nicole’s neck. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Nicole shifted them, putting the space back between them and smiled apologetically. Before Waverly could ask why they’d stopped, the front door was opening with a squeal of rusted hinges and old wood. How was it that Nicole could sense they were about to be interrupted when all Waverly could focus on was how her heart was going to beat out of her chest and how she wanted to twist their bodies around each other more? 

“Oh good, you girls are here,” Gus bumped the door open further with her hip as her hands were full of bags and what smelt like fresh cooked chicken, “Brought dinner home if you don’t mind helping me get the table set.” 

Nicole was up from the couch to hopefully hide further what they’d almost been caught doing but Waverly suspected that Gus might have caught on with the look in her eyes but nothing was said. Waverly settled on playing dumb and she would for as long as she could. 

“Thanks, hun,” Gus relieved some of the bags into Nicole’s waiting hands not seconds before Curtis came in through the threshold with his own hands full of grocery bags. Waverly helped him put the food away as Nicole and Gus set the table and placed out the containers of food. No sooner had they sat down that Wynonna was stomping in with a relieved grunt at being home in time for dinner. 

The talk had settled around the day's events and like expected Wynonna threatened to hit Perry with her truck which received a lecture from Gus about violence and it not being the answer to everything. Waverly smiled with content, all the most important people in her life around the table, and a fullness not just from good food, settling inside her. It helped that she caught the blush against Nicole’s cheeks as Waverly occasionally slipped her foot against her leg in a slow tease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. I love seeing all the comments and kudos, really keeps me inspired to continue and flesh out this AU idea a bit more. I


	6. Labels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get fitted for their uniforms.

It was the second day of week two and throughout the day each section was splitting off to go get fitted for their uniforms. Nicole hadn’t stayed the night like Waverly hoped so Wynonna had driven her that morning. She’d brought a second bag with a pair of shorts, moisture wicking shirt, and black socks that Nicole had advised her to wear under her uniform. The morning had been nerve-wracking as she’d ridden in with Wynonna. Partly for finally getting to see the marching uniforms up close and getting fitted and also worried that her sister might question why Nicole was spending so much time with Waverly and not herself. There might have been some off-handed comments the night before during and after dinner before Nicole decided to go home. Her fears were not founded as Wynonna was quiet, as she typically was before noon, but she was surprised and disappointed when Wynonna announced she’d be by to pick Waverly up from camp, which meant that Nicole wouldn’t be driving her home today. 

She bit down the disappointment and instead focused on being excited for the day. Everyone was bustling around, more sheets of drill were being passed out, and the percussion section was first to get fitted and most of the drummers were already lined up in their gear to get fitted. She immediately found Nicole in the mass of her section giving directions and helping her rookies out since they seemed clueless as to what needed to happen. Waverly briefly tripped as she took in the tight black muscle shirt and dark blue basketball shorts that Nicole was wearing. She didn’t get a chance to say good morning before the rest of the band was being directed down to the practice field to get started for the day and bringing their instruments. 

The morning started the same as yesterday with their warm up exercises and then they immediately revisited the learned drill from the day before. By the time the percussion section came down from the band room they were moving on to warming up to start playing through the show while other sections went to get fitted. They wouldn’t be learning any new drill till everyone was done with trying on uniforms so the first half of the day would be focused on playing. 

It was an hour before lunch when the trumpet section was called for their fitting. Robin was practically bouncing in equal steps with Waverly as they took off for the band room. They had no idea what to expect but Conner was a good section leader and was right there from the get go to give them directions once they reached the band room. Waverly grabbed her clothes and followed some of the other female trumpet players into the bathrooms to change. Most everyone had the same type of clothes to change into so Waverly felt relieved in what she’d picked out; though Nicole would never give her bad advice. 

Everyone had lined up as they came back once they’d changed. Robin was a few people in front of her but he moved back in line to stand with her so they could chat. The conversation topics jumped around as they excitedly watched as their section mates came out of the back room with the uniform on briefly while some of the band moms hovered around with notepads and jotted down adjustments and other notes. 

The building excitement was ready to burst by the time Robin was ushered into the back room and started his fitting process. She watched eagerly so she knew what was expected of her as soon as one of the other moms were available to get her fitted. Her mind briefly wondered if her mother was around would she be helping out with band parent responsibilities. She shifted her focus as quickly as she could so not to upset herself. In order to help, she had to be present and that hadn’t been the case since Waverly was really young.

She was finally summoned into the room and she gave the parent her name before she was moved to the side and quickly measured. Two pairs of the pants, or bibbers as they are officially called, were thrusted into her hands, “Try these dear, and attempt doing a squat in them to make the underside doesn’t rip out.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Waverly stepped out of the small room and tried on the first pair. They were way too long, even when she adjusted the straps on the shoulders to pull it up more. The parent stepped out to check on her and shook her head before gesturing to Waverly to try the other pair. She stripped out of the current ones and slipped into the others. They fit a bit more snug and she got as far as doing a squat. This pair felt a lot better so she went back into the room. 

“Excellent, just stand still while I make some adjustments,” The parent instructed and had Waverly stand with her feet shoulder width apart while she pinned and adjusted the length of the pants. At one point she asked Waverly for her shoe size and then had a pair of marching shoes for her to try on so more adjustments on length could be made. 

After that she was being handed the jacket to try on. It was the deep blue, their school color, with an embroidered P overlapping a D on the left breast. It was way too bulky on her so she was handed a handful more before one fit the best. Then she was handed the white cape to clasp into place on her right shoulder and then the gauntlets were fastened on as well. 

The final piece was placed on her head, the bucket hat. Like the rest of the uniform it took a few tries to find one that didn’t engulf her head. Finally, after what felt like an hour, she was standing in front of the full length mirror and got to see herself for the first time in full uniform. It felt surreal. Sure, she was into week two with most of the music memorized and starting to learn the drill, but it was in this moment that she felt like a true Purgatory Devil band kid. 

“How’s it feel?” The parent made a few minor adjustments and took a few notes as Waverly kept looking herself over. 

“It feels amazing.” 

She was given a number to remember which she put into the notes on her phone just to be safe. Then she was giving back the uniform in pieces and watched as the band parent showed her how it was all to hang up and that it needed to be given back that way or she’d be added to a list where kids had to help clean up for being lazy. 

Shortly after she was joining up with Robin in the band room and they gushed about how awesome they looked in uniform. They went and changed back into their clothes for camp and by the time they’d come back into the band room, the rest of the band was trickling back in for their lunch break. 

Waverly retrieved her lunch and went to the normal corner where Robin and Jeremy would join her as they had every day. She was tearing into her peanut butter and jelly sandwich when a familiar figure dropped down beside her and effectively got Jeremy to stop talking mid sentence. 

“Um...hi,” Jeremy half held his own sandwich in awe as Nicole was pulling out her lunch from her bag. 

“It’s Jeremy right?” Nicole smiled and shifted a bit in an effort to look more comfortable but turned slightly more towards Waverly. 

“Yes,” Jeremy looked at Waverly, then back at Nicole, “Shouldn’t you be eating with the other section leaders and not, you know, us lowly rookies?” 

“Jer-bear, Nicole is more than welcome to eat with us,” Robin whispered with a well placed hand on Jeremy’s thigh, which caused him to jump a bit and grip his crumbling sandwich a bit too hard. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know this was a rookie’s only club. I can go eat elsewhere,” Nicole moved to repack her lunch before Waverly panickily reached out to grab at her forearm.

“No!” Waverly gripped at the strong muscle and felt the rising heat in her cheeks, “Please stay. I’ve missed you today.” 

Nicole smiled softly and pulled out the container of vegetables to munch on before leaning forward and whispering softly, “Missed you too, Waves.” 

“So, we were just talking about our fittings. It is so cool how we look!” Robin brought the topic back around and Waverly could hug him for pulling them back out of the slightly awkward moment of Nicole seemingly randomly joining them for lunch. 

“I remember the first time I suited up. Totally crazy feeling when you’ve got it on,” Nicole took a bite and chewed, “Just wait until they get it sized for you. Looks even better when it fits right.” 

Waverly’s mind wandered to imagining what Nicole looked like in hers. She hadn’t gone to any games or the parade last year. She’d been too busy dealing with things so she’d not had the chance to support Nicole, which meant the missed opportunity to see her in her band uniform. The mental image she was conjuring was doing things to her and she was wondering how the hell she was going to keep her hands to herself once she saw it in person. 

At some point after they’d finished their food they’d ended up leaning near each other but holding back from showing any affection. Nicole’s request to keep them secret was constantly echoing in the back of her mind. The highlight of lunch had been the brief few seconds that Nicole grazed her pinky against Waverly’s and it set an ache burning through her skin. She really just wanted to cuddle up into Nicole’s side. 

As always lunch was over way too quick for it to even feel like a break but Nicole matched her stride on the way back down to the practice field.

“So Wynonna is picking me up today?” Waverly turned towards Nicole to see her face. She caught a wave of guilt then irritation before Nicole’s expression returned to neutral. 

“I have to stay late and start working with Perry today. We’ve been told to have our shit figured out by Friday,” Nicole sighed. 

They were towards the back of the stragglers heading to the field so no one was looking at them. Nicole reached out, fingers grazing against the back of Waverly’s swinging hand, “Sorry I can’t drive you home.”

“I’ll definitely miss the company,” Waverly smiled and for a brief moment let Nicole’s fingers lace through hers. 

“Trust me, I rather be with you,” Nicole sighed and dropped her hand back to her side. 

“Will you be coming by tonight?” Waverly turned a bit to smile at Nicole, hoping that her intention was easily read. 

“In a rare turn of events my parents have requested I be home for dinner tonight,” Nicole shrugged like it was mostly inconvenient but Waverly knew about Nicole’s home life. It was strained at best but was mostly mentally destructive for Nicole and Waverly worried. Any time her parents showed interest, Nicole would come back to the homestead and indulge with Wynonna up in the loft. Waverly would ask if everything was okay and Nicole would just offer her that dazzling smile and shift the focus away from herself. Waverly couldn’t practically predict what could happen tonight. 

“I can wait up for you if you plan on coming over afterwards,” Waverly offered as they reached the gate to the practice field. 

“You don’t have to do that. I can swing by tomorrow morning and pick you up,” Nicole turned so her back was to the field where everyone was getting their instruments back out. A soft hand came to swipe some of the flyaway hair behind Waverly’s ear. The touch was quick and sweet and drew out Waverly’s full smile. Waverly reached out, hand gripping at Nicole’s tank top just above her shorts. The back of her fingers felt the fluttering of the muscles at Nicole’s abdomen. She pulled Nicole a bit closer, mindful of the distance between them and felt a brief spark of relief as it closed in. She fought down the urge to lift up on her toes so she could plant a kiss at Nicole’s lips. 

Today seemed like a hard day to keep what was going on between them a secret but Waverly could do it for Nicole. She could do it for them, easy. 

“What if I want to see you tonight?” Waverly whispered. It was harder to hear each other now that random people were starting to warm back up again, the field echoing the scale of notes being blared out.

“I’ll see about sneaking out,” Nicole breathed the promise and then pulled back. With a wink Nicole took a step back and her touch was gone from Waverly’s cheek. Waverly released her grip from Nicole’s shirt due to Nicole stepping too far away and the material stretching out of her grasp. Waverly followed before dividing off to head to her trumpet to start warming up like everyone else. 

**************

Waverly was sore, sunburnt, and beyond tired as she helped Gus clean up from dinner that night. Wynonna had already disappeared somewhere on the property and Curtis was back out doing some final chores. Family dinner was always important and once school started back up next week, family dinners would be only a few nights a week to accommodate after school band practice and Wynonna’s apparent job that she refused to share any details about. 

“How was camp today?” Gus took one of the cleaned dishes and began drying it to put it away. 

Waverly was up to her elbows in soapy water as she continued scrubbing away at the pile of dirty dishes, “It was exciting today. We got to try on our uniforms!” 

“Oh honey, that is exciting. I can’t wait to come to your first game and see it in person,” Gus bumped shoulders with Waverly in excitement.

“It is going to be amazing! We still have so much drill to learn before the end of the week and then with school starting next week, I still have two of my books to read before this weekend,” Waverly could feel the stress bubbling already at just the thought of the next few days and she was already so tired and sore. 

“Well, how about I finish this up and you go relax and do some of that reading,” Gus shouldered her way to the sink and took over washing the dishes and then placing them in the drying rack until she was finished. 

“Thanks, Gus,” Waverly wiped her hands dry and kissed her aunt on her cheek before retreating upstairs to her room. She rubbed some aloe on her burnt skin and then slipped into her bed with one of the books she needed to finish reading. 

The sun was long set and her eyes were starting to drift closed when she’d heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She assumed it was Wynonna but a soft knock came at her door which wasn’t like her sister who normally just barged in. Assuming maybe it was Gus or Curtis she called out, “It’s unlocked.” 

She was surprised to see Nicole poke her head in once she nudged the door open a few inches, “Hey, I hoped you were still awake.” 

“Hey, you,” Waverly sat up straighter in her bed, now wide awake. She waved Nicole to come in and smiled as Nicole softly stepped inside and then gently closed her door again. 

“I didn’t see Wynonna in her room,” Nicole pointed over her shoulder. 

“Oh she disappeared somewhere after dinner,” Waverly explained. Nicole nodded and shuffled on her feet. It was cute that Nicole seemed almost nervous by being in her room. Waverly slid out of her bed and tried to not skip towards Nicole to put her within reach of touching. The closer she got the more she was able to read of Nicole’s current state, something she’d worried about earlier in the day. 

Nicole had bags under her eyes and they were bloodshot, as if Nicole had recently been crying. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Waverly stepped into Nicole’s space, pulling her into a hug. Strong arms wrapped around Waverly’s waist as Nicole dropped her face into Waverly’s neck, taking a deep breath. 

“I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” Nicole whispered against her skin. 

“We don’t have to talk at all,” Waverly offered, holding Nicole tighter in her arms to bring her some comfort. 

They stayed like for a few moments before Nicole finally pulled back. Waverly caught the grief for one more brief moment before Nicole buried it and offered a smile in its place, “What were you up too?” 

“I was catching up on the last of my reading for English,” Waverly pulled at Nicole’s wrist, bringing her back to her bed where she climbed back into her previous spot, leaving plenty of room for Nicole to join her.

Nicole kicked her shoes off and climbed up on top of the covers to sit next to her, “You do know classes don’t start till next week.”

“Yes, but considering I also will have to do my Sophomore reading, I need to be ahead of the curve,” Waverly shrugged while properly marking her spot towards the end of the book and placing it on her night stand. Nicole just nodded at the explanation. 

“You amaze me Waverly Earp,” Nicole turned to her and offered Waverly that breathtaking smile that was part of what stole Waverly’s heart in the beginning. Waverly could only smile back and then remembered that there was something she could do now when Nicole sparked that feeling deep inside her chest. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Nicole’s, effectively getting Nicole to gasp against her in surprise. 

For a sharp second the image of that pain in Nicole’s eyes flashed in Waverly’s mind and it twisted in her chest again. She wanted to alleviate whatever it was so she pushed closer to Nicole, whose body caved back into the mattress further, and Waverly pressed down into her. Waverly felt soft fingers ghost along her ribs before sliding firmly to wrap around her back to pull her tighter against Nicole's chest. 

Waverly felt so light inside her chest as Nicole’s lips pressed against her, the occasionally fluttering of a tongue as they shifted against each other. As bold as Waverly felt in initiating their kisses, she didn’t quite feel it with her touch. She propped herself up, half of her body pressed into Nicole’s side. Her free hand stayed firm on Nicole’s neck aiding in angling Nicole’s face as Waverly continued to kiss her. Nicole seemed to have the same trepidation with wandering hands and her grip stayed firm against her back. As nervous as Waverly was with her own touch, she was starting to go mad with Nicole not moving hers. 

They parted for air and Waverly pulled back then leaned forward so their foreheads touched. It was a nice grounding moment as they took deep breaths. Nicole's grip held a little tighter before shifting to push some space between them. 

“I still can’t quite wrap my head around this,” Nicole gestured between them with a soft smile on her lips. 

“Is it okay?” Waverly pulled back properly so she could see Nicole better. 

“Oh, it's more than okay Waves. I want this with you,” Nicole admitted. Waverly dropped down and kissed her, pecking a few times before pulling back again. 

“It was really hard to not kiss you at camp today,” Waverly started to trace a pattern into Nicole’s pulse point as her gut twisted in nerves. 

“It was hard for me too.” 

“So why the secrecy? I get being worried about Wynonna and I have high hopes that she won’t take it too badly when she does find out. I mean, she’ll eventually know right? Or do you plan on keeping this a secret forever?” Waverly didn’t mean to ask all that but once the thought started to spiral so did the words. 

“Oh, baby. I don’t want to keep you a secret forever. I mean, I am terrified that Wynonna is going to straight up murder me and then hide my body somewhere out on the homestead,” Nicole moved her hands from Waverly’s back to cup her cheeks softly, “But, keeping this to ourselves for now has its perks.” 

“Such as?” Waverly leaned a bit more into Nicole’s body. 

“Well, if no one knows during our band season, we could room together on the overnight trips,” Nicole wiggled her eyebrows and then pecked her lips briefly, “I mostly just worry about what people will think. You’re a freshman and I’m a junior, not to mention I’m a section leader and you’re a rookie. Then there’s the fact that we’re both female and this is a small town and not everyone is going to be cool with it.” 

“I really don’t care about all that. If people have a problem then I was never meant to be friends with them to begin with,” Waverly pulled back wanting Nicole to see how much she really didn’t care what people thought. She already had enough people gossiping just because she was an Earp and all the happenings with her father and oldest sister. People would talk just to talk anyway so who cared if Waverly was seen that way with Nicole. 

“I know, but I care. If I can protect you from that for any amount of time I’d like too,” Nicole rubbed her thumb against her cheek. It was touching just how much Nicole cared. Nicole would never admit it but she knew that she was her and Wynonna’s first line of defense when people talked about them in town or at school. Nicole was fiercely loyal. 

“And if being a secret becomes too much for me? What happens then?” Waverly closed her eyes tight, a panic built in her chest as the questions tumbled out before she could stop them. 

Nicole took a deep breath and waited for Waverly to finally open her eyes and meet her gaze. A few breaths then, “Then I shout it from the rooftops.” 

She brought her lips to Nicole’s and smiled into the kiss. Waverly found herself pressing back down into Nicole’s body, feeling how well they fit together. Once again she pulled back, short of breath, “So does this mean that we’re officially a thing whether we are telling people or not?” 

“Why, Ms. Earp, are you wanting to put a label on this?” Nicole teased with a soft smile. She recognized the look and noticed how that heaviness from before was finally lifting from Nicole’s demeanor. 

“I mean, I don’t think I need one really but it would be nice to hear?” Waverly admitted. 

A few more soft kisses and then Nicole pulled back proper and reached to interlace their hand together, “Waverly Earp, would you like to officially be my girlfriend?” 

“You are a dork, but absolutely!” Waverly beamed. 

They made out for a bit longer before Nicole determined it was probably best to slip over into Wynonna’s room before she came back and found her best friend in bed with her baby sister. It was for the best because Waverly could not think about going to sleep when Nicole was right there to keep kissing and it was getting dangerously late and they had camp early in the morning. 

She laid in bed for a long moment, running her fingers over her still tingling lips with one thought on her mind. She was Nicole Haught’s girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who is dropping those kudos and comments. It's making this revived writer thrilled to be back at the keyboard.


	7. Duets and Drinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole isn't having a good but at least week two of camp is about to be done, although her weekend is not something she wants to rush towards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes a funeral if that is triggering for anyone. It's the third part if anyone needs to skip it. Nothing too graphic or detailed though but I understand; funerals are triggers for me so I get it.

It was easy to focus on band things as the rest of the week started to pass Nicole by since she really didn’t want to focus just yet on what Saturday would bring and the tragedy she’d yet to tell her girlfriend about. Girlfriend as in Waverly Earp. Just the thought had a way about bringing the biggest smile to Nicole’s face and she honestly didn’t care that those around her would just look at her weird sometimes when they caught the rather frequent moment over Thursday and now Friday. 

The final day of camp and then school would start on Monday and a different level of hectic chaos would descend upon them all. Fortunately, this year most of the band was rather quick on the uptake in learning the drill and they’d surpassed Lucado’s expectations by Thursday afternoon so Lucado had given them a few extra pages of drill today to add to the pile to memorize. So far, it was going exceptionally well and the last bit of the drill led up to the percussion duel that Crofte and herself would be set to perform at the end of the day. 

It still grated on her nerves that she had to share with him even though he didn’t perform on talent alone and instead resorted to cheap politics to get his way. Honestly, a lot of things were grating on her nerves since dinner with her parents Wednesday night. Lonnie was slowly figuring everything out and a lot of the other rookies were too but every time they had to stop and reset completely at the beginning, Nicole was slowly losing her long wick of patience. 

When it was finally called to lunch break she was beyond relieved to set her snare down next to her gear, grab her water bottle and turn to start the trek up the hill to the band room. Her shoulders were burning, her tank clung thickly, and she had blisters forming on her heels. All she desperately wanted was to sit down out of the blazing sun. 

“Haught!” Perry called out to her just as she was spotting Waverly waiting for her by the entrance gate. 

“What do you want Crofte?” Nicole squared her shoulders but didn’t turn towards him. That wick of patience was burned pretty low in that moment. 

“I’m going to take the lead in our duet. I’m the senior percussionist and that's just how it's going to be,” Crofte came to block her view of Waverly who was waving at her with a sly smile now.

“I don’t care what you think you are owed Crofte. Who the hell said you could talk to your section leader like this anyway?” Nicole moved to brush past him but his hand gripped firmly at her bicep. 

“You know, I couldn’t believe it when Shae didn’t vote for you. When I approached her at the start of the week she was adamant that her loyalty to her girlfriend ran deep and I was a fool for even attempting it. I guess that loyalty didn’t go both ways,” Crofte gave a pointed look behind him and anger boiled up into her chest. 

Her comments to Waverly from Wednesday night echoed in her mind. People would treat her differently if they knew about their relationship. She was a section leader, Waverly a rookie and there was a power balance in play there that could get them both in a lot of trouble if people wanted to manipulate the situation around them. People like Perry Crofte. However, the fact that he was insinuating that Nicole was a cheater burned her the deepest. Nicole valued certain things above all else and loyalty was one of the highest. Not to mention this was high school and once branded a cheater, a cheater you would always be. 

“I know what you are trying to do Crofte, with what you are trying to insinuate. I’m not here to play your bullshit game. Shae broke up with me and I was fine with it because I honestly didn’t feel the same way. It's high school and it happens. Sure, it was a fun summer and it was fun with her but it's also whatever and I don’t care if you tell her that. What I do care about is my band season and my friends, whom you aren’t a part of. You want to take lead of the duet, fucking earn it. Otherwise, shut the fuck up and leave me alone,” Nicole pulled out of his grasp and stomped off towards the gate where Waverly watched with a furrow brow and a set frown. 

“What was that about?” Waverly’s hand twitched, like she wanted to reach out and take Nicole’s but this was definitely not the right time as Perry’s eyes continued to bore into Nicole’s back. 

“Just Crofte being a dick,” Nicole kept walking as Waverly immediately set into step with her. She could also feel Waverly’s gaze just as hot as the sun on the side of her face but didn’t press any further. Soon as they were through the doors and out of the heat Nicole immediately started to feel a bit better, the grouchiness bleeding from her shoulders in soft waves until it was almost gone as she sat in the corner that Waverly, Robin, and Jeremy typically claimed. 

Nicole ate her sandwich quickly, mostly large agitated bites and then spent a few minutes applying sunblock to her dark red shoulders, hissing in irritation. Lunch was only half way over when Waverly packed up her half eaten food and tucked it back away with her backpack. She grabbed Nicole's hand and gave it a pointed squeeze and then looked over her shoulder to the doors that led to the school's hallway. 

“I’m going to head to the bathroom and then I promised my Aunt Gus I’d call her. I’ll see you guys back on the field,” Waverly excused herself from Robin and Jeremy’s company and gave Nicole one last pointed look before disappearing into the high school hallway. 

Nicole gave it a respectful two minutes, which was probably two minutes too long as she felt her phone vibrate with a new text message. 

Waverly <3: Coming? 

“I think I’m going to head to the bathroom too and then head back to the field. See you guys,” She was up and tossing her trash away and then, hopefully and discreetly, disappearing into the hallway. 

She made her way towards the bathrooms but as she passed by one of the classroom’s entrances a hand shot out and grabbed hers and pulled. She yelped and tripped over her feet before her body slammed into another. Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and the scent of wildflowers and honey filled her nose and soothed her down into her soul. 

“Hey,” Nicole closed her eyes as she filled her lungs with a deep breath that was wholly Waverly. 

“Hi,” Waverly’s breath tickled against Nicole’s lips and then Waverly tipped up to close the rest of the distance until they were kissing softly. 

All the irritation that had been buzzing under Nicole’s skin seeped out of her to give her a moment of relief and calmness that she needed. Her arms were wrapped tight around Waverly, pulling them flush together and she slouched to take some of the strain of reaching Nicole’s height off of Waverly. 

“Feel better?” It was a whisper against her lips and she responded with brazenness by pushing forward until Waverly’s back hit the wall and Waverly gasped into her parted lips before Nicole dipped her tongue out to tease and then continue to press her lips against Waverly’s eager ones. Waverly arched against her, pulling tightly at her shoulders to leave a bite against her angered sunburnt skin. 

After a few more moments they parted with heavy deep breaths, foreheads pressed together to maintain the closeness they were wrapped up in. Waverly always could soothe Nicole with her presence alone but now that they were in girlfriend territory with each other, Waverly now had some new tools in her arsenal and Nicole doubted she’d ever complain about its use or effectiveness. 

“What’s going on? You’ve been...off, irritable for the past few days,” Waverly attempted again. Nicole should have known that Waverly would pick up on just more than Perry Crofte getting under her skin so quickly. Honestly, Waverly had been looking just a bit more since Wednesday when she’d snuck into her room with bloodshot eyes and that heaviness in her chest that still hadn’t gone away. She couldn’t keep it to herself anymore, not that she wanted to keep it forever. Waverly was rock in Nicole’s foundation, had always been one even before Nicole knew she was one for Waverly. This strong woman in her arms wasn’t new to the pain that Nicole was feeling, the loss of family that would hang forever over them both. She needed someone who would understand, someone that wasn’t her father and his self-righteous anger and her mother's indifference. 

“I’m going to need you Saturday. I’m going to need your strength,” It felt like relief to admit it, to tell Waverly that she needed her. She’d first thought it’d feel like weakness but she’d never felt weak with Waverly and hoped she never would. 

“What is it baby?” Waverly pulled back so she could meet Nicole’s gaze, to see the hurt that was starting to shine in unshed tears. 

“My aunt,” Nicole felt her throat tighten and pain in her chest flare again, “It’s her funeral Saturday.” 

Waverly’s breath of shock echoed in the classroom entrance way. The arms wrapped around her shoulders pulled tighter. Waverly met Nicole’s eyes with a look of understanding, “Your Aunt Sharon?” 

Nicole nodded, dropping forward again to rest her forehead against Waverly’s. She’d talked about her Aunt numerous times with the Earp sisters. The awe and respect she had for Aunt Sharon ran deep, proud of the soldier she was and the truth she lived. Nicole was closer with her Aunt than her own parents, had even talked about living with her once she’d come back from deployment. Something that would never happen now and that thought surged up another wave of paralyzing grief. 

“When did you find out?” Waverly pulled Nicole’s head to rest in the crook of her neck so she could run her fingers through her hair. 

“Wednesday,” She breathed in Waverly’s scent at the pulse point and held tight with her waist. 

“Oh,” Waverly continued to hold her. They stayed that way for a few long moments until they noticed the dull roar from the bandroom start to fade. People were starting to head back to the field as their lunch break was ending. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away,” Nicole pulled back, hands still at Waverly’s waist, not wanting to end their contact just yet. 

“You needed your own time,” Waverly brought her hands to frame Nicole’s face, “I get that.” 

“Can you go with me?” Nicole asked, realizing she hadn’t actually asked that. 

“Of course, baby,” Waverly leaned up and kissed her one more time before they had to finally part. 

Baby. The pet name rang in Nicole’s ears and she found she rather liked it coming from Waverly. They parted from the small sanctuary they’d created for a moment and headed for the practice field. The second half of the day always seemed to pass the quickest and with it being the final part of band camp, it was going to be hectic before they were finally dismissed. 

**********

She wasn’t wrong about it being hectic but she went into the last part of the day feeling so much better than she had since dinner a couple of nights before. Crofte’s comments still sat with her, especially as it drew closer and closer to them finally presenting the band and Lucado with what they’d put together so far. Now that she wasn’t as irritable she did consider Crofte’s blunt request, though her statement still sat true. If he really wanted it, he should earn it. If it was her senior year and the position reversed she would have fought like hell, the honorable way, to earn it. 

After the tenth run through from the very beginning, Lucado called the band to attention and summoned Nicole and Perry to the front. 

“I hope you two are ready to show us all what you’ve prepared.” 

Nicole stood at attention, her snare at the ready. At Lucado’s wave she turned to Perry and ignored the look of irritation she received as she tapped her sticks to signal their start. She gave him no opportunity to take the lead. Like they had been practicing, using the fact that they rather didn’t like each other and how easy it was to play off of that, Nicole started and then Perry interrupted in a challenge. It was an impressive minute of their back and forth with increasing stick tricks. However, what wasn’t practice was Perry’s steps forward, forcing Nicole to take steps back. They’d rehearsed just a duel between the two of them, not a power stance on top of it. 

With them in the final bit, the anger had returned to sit heavy within Nicole and as Perry finished his last set, Nicole fired off into hers and took a step forward, then another, forcing Perry back to where he started. She twisted and flipped her sticks with flourish and in a final act of dominance she knocked his sticks from his hands. She brought her sticks together and tapped twice at the rim of her snare before falling back into parade rest. Her breathing was heavy and Perry dropped his gaze from hers to look down at his sticks. 

The band was eerily quiet and Lucado clapped once to get both drummers attention, “That was excellent. The type of performance I would expect from my top two snares. I’ll give you two more notes on Monday but well done. You can fall back to line.” 

Nicole and Perry went back to their spots and Nicole was able to catch sight of Waverly at parade rest with the rest of the trumpet line. She gave a quick wink and fought the smirk when she noticed the red deepen across her cheeks. 

**********

The last funeral Nicole had attended had been the one for Ward and Willa Earp. That morning she’d put on the same dress shirt and slacks that she’d bought for that funeral. Just like that morning over a year ago, it felt just as numbing to button up her shirt and tuck it into her pants then lace up her dress shoes to complete the look of sorrow and respect she was trying to have. 

The day already started off with more irritation towards her parents. They’d refused in their way to allow her to go pick up Waverly, instead trying to keep her as close to them as possible. Not in a sense of shared grief, and the need to be family, but more because they wanted to keep a trained eye on her, to not let her talk to certain people unless she entertained ideas they would never agree with. 

Waverly had told Wynonna what was going on and the both of them had driven out to support Nicole. Once her girlfriend had arrived, Waverly stuck to Nicole’s side. That didn’t bother her parents at all, not that they’d care when Nicole had come out with her sexuality and they hadn’t cared when they’d caught a few ex-girlfriends sneaking out in the rare mornings her parents were even around. 

The only time her father or mother were quick to draw her back in, or try and shift her focus, were when her Aunt’s battle buddies had come to speak with her to pay their respects. It amazed her on some level how many people were here. The banquet room was filled with a long line of people waiting to shake their hands and say a few parting words. The church itself had turned into standing room only, a line of soldiers that served with her Aunt lining the walls. The only thing her parents didn’t stop or interfere with was when the folded flag was presented to her at the end. 

Waverly was constantly a pillar of strength at her side as was Wynonna. When her parents had finally pushed enough that Nicole felt like snapping, Wynonna had pulled her behind the church and offered her a smoke and her hidden flask. Waverly had scolded Wynonna but sighed and took a swig as well. Waverly had kept close with small touches and holding her hand and given the days the circumstances no one would think it other than a friend offering comfort but behind the church as they smoke and passed the flask around Nicole really just wanted to pull Waverly close and hide in the crook of her neck like they had the previous day during lunch. She only stopped herself from doing so as that might be too much comfort and Wynonna just might start asking what was going on with her and Waverly. Although, Wynonna could be very oblivious to things right in front of her. 

Afterwards, with her grip tight on the flag in her hands, she just wanted to disappear from the church and her hovering parents and just be somewhere else. It was too much to handle for a day tucked between band camp and the start of her junior year. It was too much to lose the one person in her family that made sense and to lose them in such an honorable and terrible way and have her own damn parents so distant. She wanted to disappear somewhere on the homestead with her true family who understood, who could really share this with her. 

She’d found her father a few minutes after that and hoped he couldn’t smell the lingering smoke on her clothes and cheap whiskey on her breath. Although she was tempted to see if he would actually give a damn if he did smell it. She told him she was leaving and wasn’t surprised by the dismissal after she told him she’d probably stay over too. She honestly couldn’t wait to graduate and make a life for herself with people who actually wanted her and cared about what she wanted for a future. 

She’d left the church after a few more people stopped her to offer their condolences. She popped open the top few buttons of her dress shirt and stopped short of rounding the corner to where Wynonna’s truck was parked. 

“I really wish you hadn’t brought a flask Wynonna,” Waverly was whispering but the frustration was evident in her hushed voice.

“It’s just standard Earp operating procedure baby girl,” Wynonna scoffed. 

“That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it. I really wish you’d lay off all the alcohol you’ve been drinking,” Waverly’s voice was rising in volume now. Nicole prepared to step around the corner to interrupt their argument. 

“Listen baby girl, I have everything under control. I’ve just been enjoying my summer the way I want to,” Wynonna brushed it off.

“Sure, dad,” Waverly’s response was bitter and Nicole shot around the corner then to prevent the fallout she’d suspected. 

Wynonna looked angry then hurt as Waverly’s words settled but her eyes shifted behind Waverly to where Nicole appeared and her face shifted to something more neutral. Waverly turned, shoulders dropping when she saw her girlfriend. 

“We can head out,” She attempted a small smile and moved to the passenger side of the truck. Waverly climbed in through the drivers side to sit in the middle and Wynonna jumped into the drivers side. Nicole didn’t mention over hearing anything but they didn’t offer up anything on their private conversation either. Nicole could feel the frustration and tension coming off of Waverly and it was easy to focus on to ignore her own emotional turmoil the day had laid out. As Wynonna was focused on the road and getting them all to the homestead, Nicole subtly ran her fingers against Waverly’s on the seat in the space between them. 

Gus had some food ready in the kitchen when they’d gotten in and Curtis was kind enough to offer to build her a case for the flag she was still clutching to her side. She’d finally relinquished her hold on it when he offered to take it with the care she knew Curtis had for the situation. He promised he’d get it ready for her by the end of the week so she could take it home. Gus had given her the tightest hug before they’d sat down to eat. Subtly she kept shoving the plate of finger sandwiches towards Wynonna who hadn’t kept track of how many she’d eaten so far. For a moment she figured Waverly caught on to what Nicole was doing but that would mean she’d overheard their argument in the church parking lot and Nicole wasn’t fessing up to it. 

Maybe Wynonna was drinking far too much and maybe Nicole was doing more harm by engaging the behavior as well. She wasn’t sure how long it had been bothering Waverly but knowing the things that had happened in this house before Gus and Curtis moved in, Nicole should have been better about her own actions. She should have been taking better care of her chosen family; keeping Wynonna from self sabotage and protecting Waverly. She fought back the feeling of failing them, of not living up to the expectations of herself. 

Waverly must have picked up on Nicole having heavy thoughts; always looking and seeing Nicole in those moments. Nicole looked back, Nicole tried to see as well. Nicole didn’t want to ditch Wynonna in favor of spending time with just Waverly, not now that she knew Wynonna was probably just going to disappear up into the loft and spend the rest of her day drinking and entertaining herself. Nicole couldn’t try to be a good friend if all she did was focus on her girlfriend. She’d gotten caught up with the past two weeks and band camp and the moments she’d been able to steal away with her favorite person. 

If she wanted to follow in her Aunt’s footsteps, to be the best version of herself and help and protect people, then she needed to balance her time better. She needed to just be better. She could do that. Nicole could but right now she so desperately wanted to fall into Waverly and just be held and hold off on saving her sister from herself tomorrow. 

All three of them ended up in the loft not too long after they’d eaten a small mountain of finger foods. Wynonna was sipping from her flask each time Waverly turned her back to focus on Nicole but considering the hardening look that settled over Waverly each time she focused back on Wynonna, Nicole knew the action wasn’t going unnoticed. 

Once the sun had set and the day finally caught up to them all physically and emotionally, Waverly excused herself back to the house stating she had some reading she really needed to finish before the weekend was over. Nicole offered to stay in the loft with Wynonna. Waverly started to lean down to kiss her goodnight but caught herself and instead gave Nicole a hug, turning to brush her lips against Nicole’s cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed, holding Waverly a little bit tighter for just a moment too long. Wynonna wasn’t paying them any attention. 

Nicole waited till she was sure Waverly was inside the house before she turned to Wynonna. She didn’t even have to start the conversation as she was caught off, “So you heard our fight huh?” 

Nicole nodded, “I did.” 

“You think I have a problem too?” Wynonna tipped back the last drop of her flask as if daring Nicole to agree with Waverly. 

“I honestly don’t think I’ve been paying too much attention to know if it is or not,” It was painful to admit but she had to be honest. 

“I love my sister, Nicole,” Wynonna stared out the loft window down towards their house. 

“That was never in question.” 

“It’s not a problem. I’ve just been enjoying my summer,” Wynonna’s words echoed her statement from before and Nicole wondered if Wynonna really believed that or if it was the easiest excuse she could manage. 

“School starts Monday. If you mean what you say then I don’t expect to see you with your flask during the week,” Nicole didn’t mean it as a threat or anything else other than she hoped that Wynonna did mean what she was saying. 

Wynonna didn’t say much for the rest of the night but neither did Nicole. Her heart ached too much and she really just wanted the day to end. It was well after midnight before they stumbled back into the house and collapsed into their respectful bed and cot in Wynonna’s room. Nicole would have gone to tell Waverly goodnight but her light was off and Nicole didn’t want to disturb her anymore than she had for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I keep writing these chapters I realize I'm giving more snapshot moments and nothing really like a point A to point B and everything in between. I hope that's okay but then you guys keep coming back to read more which I love. We are about to hit the high school part of this with the next chapter. If there's anything you all would like to see included, please let me know. I have a few things plotted out but I'm happy to include things people would like to read for this little AU I'm building. 
> 
> Thank you all for coming back with each update. It feels great to be writing again.


	8. First week of school

Today she was officially, officially, a freshman in high school and Waverly was bubbling over with nervous excitement. Wynonna had skidded into the parking lot with balding tires, Waverly gripping the proclaimed ‘oh shit’ handle with a squeal of terror and a deep laugh from her sister who wanted to be a shithead that morning. It wasn’t an ideal way to start the day with a spike of unnecessary adrenaline but at least she had made it to her first day alive. 

She looked at her schedule once more to triple check which room number was her homeroom. Her backpack hung a bit limp on her with only her few notebooks and supplies placed inside. Waverly was ready to get her textbooks and start digging into her course work for the semester. She fully intended to stay ahead of the curve especially with marching band. 

She was thankful that Nicole had given her a tour of the building one day after camp last week so she’d at least be familiar with where she needed to go. Although, with the building full of students and the morning chaos, she was finding herself a bit turned around. At least until a familiar head of dirty blonde hair and bubbly excitement swept Waverly up into a tight hug. 

“Waves! Welcome to high school!” Chrissy swayed them a bit in a tight hug before letting Waverly go. 

“Chrissy, I have missed you,” Her smile hurt her cheeks but she was just so excited to finally get to see her best friend in person after so much time apart over the summer. 

“Well, cheer camp and band camp don’t make for much free time to hang out,” Chrissy looped her arm through Waverly’s and pulled her schedule to check it over. With a hum she tugged and started to pull Waverly down the hall and towards, Waverly hoped, her homeroom. It was still a bit early, which she was overly surprised when Wynonna had pulled her out of the house at a decent time to leave for school, but that meant she was now able to benefit for a few extra minutes to catch up with Chrissy. 

“Okay, now that you are finally here at school with me, we need to get you up to speed,” Chrissy leaned against the wall next to the classroom that Waverly needed. 

Waverly leaned up next to her, “What are you going on about?”

“There is so much you need to prepare for; homecoming week and the dance, the fall festival, holiday break. Plus I need to start teaching you the cheers if you want to cheerlead in the spring for basketball season. Oh my goodness, we need to start scooping out your side piece for the year. Although, you don’t have to stick to one so we can come up with some options. You’ll need the perfect compliment as your date for all the functions. With the right guidance from me we will have you up the popularity food chain in no time,” Chrissy managed all that in practically one breath with some animated hand gestures. 

Waverly felt her stomach drop. Sure, she was very much looking forward to all the future events of the year, but the mention of finding a date for them had her nervous. She had a date, or well, a secret date. Waverly couldn’t tell Chrissy about Nicole even though she was dying too. She had already been gushing to tell best friend about the mind numbing and hot make outs she’d been doing with Nicole and all the things she really wanted to do beyond kissing. Maybe she could talk about Nicole without revealing it was her? 

“Um, I don’t really need to worry about that or, well, I don’t want to worry about that.” 

“Please don’t tell me you are already trading spit with one of those band nerds. You are so much better than all of them. I bet I can get you with one of the football players before the season officially starts in two weeks. Some of those guys go for the band nerds. Gets them excited like the weirdos they are,” Chrissy already seemed to be scoping down the hallway for potential options, her eyes scanning with practiced judgement.

“I don’t want you to hook me up with anyone, Chrissy,” Waverly was eager to get Chrissy to drop the subject after that particular band dig. Maybe she could get Chrissy past the topic of finding her a date that she really didn’t need. 

Chrissy turned against the wall to smirk at Waverly with what Waverly thought was amused pride in her eyes, “Oh my goodness! You are seeing someone! Spill!” 

“I...no, it’s not...okay look, I’m not going to talk about,” So, Waverly was doing a piss poor job in not revealing anything about Nicole.

“You aren’t or you can’t?” Chrissy was far more perceptive than Waverly gave her credit. Although, anyone who didn’t know Waverly the same way would probably also be able to tell how Waverly was suddenly shifting her weight between her feet and trying her best to not meet Chrissy’s gaze. She immediately stilled herself hoping it wasn’t too late to stop acting so suspicious. Chrissy reached out and placed a hand on Waverly’s arm and she did meet Chrissy’s eyes then. 

“I just, we just, ugh we’re kinda keeping it secret right now.” Alright, so Waverly was just going to admit it like that. Nicole would forgive her right? Waverly hadn’t said a name. She was trying not to let her internal panic show right there in the middle of the hallway before she even stepped foot into her homeroom. 

“Okay, secret romance. We can work with that. Call these dates just friendly outings. Unless you and whoever make yourselves public,” Chrissy wiggled her eyebrows. It was a weak attempt to get Waverly to confess who or reveal if they may already be on the popularity food chain. 

“I don’t know about that,” Waverly wiped some of her hair back behind her ear and checked the time on her watch. It was getting close for the first bell to ring so they didn’t have too much time left to talk about this but she doubted an interrupting school bell would end the conversation completely. 

“Are you exclusive? Because if not, then why would it matter if we get you with one of the wide receivers?” Chrissy was back to scoping the hallway. 

“We are,” Waverly smiled, not able to fight it back with the thought of Nicole Haught as her girlfriend. 

“Oh my goodness, you are already smitten! Okay, I have to know who it is,” Chrissy was bouncing now but their conversation was interrupted by the bell. 

“We can talk about this later, although I am not telling you who it is,” Waverly adjusted her backpack and turned to head into the classroom where other students were filling into. 

“Well you are no fun but I’ll get it out of you eventually,” Chrissy vowed before giving her a short tight hug and then skipped back a few steps to leave Waverly to head to her own homeroom. She took her own bouncing steps into the room and found an empty seat, excited to get started. 

***********

Monday was a full day of bundled excitement and socialization. Each class she took a few minutes afterwards to properly introduce herself to her teachers and explain what she was attempting to do that semester. She also made a point to say hello to the students seated next to her in each class, using her Earp charm which was basically just a smile and wave, to make friends and potential study partners. Between classes, as she darted through the hallway, she looked for sharp red hair that would reach over most of the other bodies. It was already a stab of disappointment that she didn’t share the same lunch block with Nicole or Wynonna but she’d hoped she would at least get to see Nicole for a brief moment to just give her a boost of endorphins to carry her through the day. It just didn’t seem to be her luck when Nicole confirmed she couldn’t come to the homestead that afternoon with the percussion sectional practice being on Monday’s. 

Tuesday was the start of homework being assigned and it being her first day with band practice right after classes let out. She was already exhausted by the time she’d raced down the hill with her trumpet and supplies for practice. Waverly was at least on time so she got to avoid running a lap. Soon as she crossed the entrance gate she was scanning through the band kids scattered across the field in their warm up formation. 

Nicole was there facing towards the back side of the field where Waverly dropped to pull out her trumpet from its case. Nicole was tapping through a drift with some of the other percussion players but her eyes immediately met and followed Waverly’s. They had been texting for the past few days, multiple messages of how much they missed each other, but nothing compared to even getting to just see each other from yards away. Chrissy was right; Waverly had it bad. 

Practice was nearly uneventful. She did end up having to run a lap when Nicole had winked at her during a brief moment where they marched past each other in the show and Waverly tripped over her own feet. Shae almost seemed to take glee in calling her out and Nicole had at least the decency to look regretful for getting her in trouble. Waverly was going to return the favor, somehow, someday. 

When practice let out Nicole offered to drive her home since Wynonna was working that evening. Waverly was more than eager since they’d not really gotten to spend any time together since Saturday, and that hadn’t been a good day with the funeral. Before they reached the homestead, Nicole pulled her car off onto a side road that led out to pretty much nowhere. 

“What are you doing?” Waverly turned in her seat to face her girlfriend and was answered with a smirk before pulling her car to a stop when she figured they were far enough from the road to be seen. The only people that would be coming down the main road anyway would be her family.

“I thought maybe we could have a minute to ourselves before you get distracted by homework and Curtis puts me to work,” Nicole unbuckled and turned to lean against the arm rest between their seats. 

“Oh really?” Waverly had already shed her seatbelt before they were fully at a stop and was leaning to meet Nicole. 

“Is that okay?” Nicole pulled back just an inch but the furrow between her brow suggested that she was second guessing her actions. 

“It is more than okay,” Waverly reached up to pull at the back of Nicole’s neck to close the remaining distance between their lips. She sighed with relief as Nicole met her eagerness, hand coming to rest on Waverly’s wrists to keep the distance at minimum. Every time her lips slanted against Nicole’s it sent thrills throughout her body. The giddiness in her chest, the curl of her toes, the heat that seemed to find every crease in her body; it could only be explained in her mind as the perfect chemical reaction to Nicole’s very existence. 

Waverly had no idea how much time had passed but as they parted for desperate gasps of air she had to fight a laugh at how disheveled Nicole looked. Waverly may have taken some liberties with wandering hands as Nicole’s hair was pulled half way out of her braid and her shirt was bunched into wrinkles at the collar from where Waverly had gripped it in tight fists to prevent her hands from wandering to locations they hadn’t yet. 

Nicole looked her over and also fought back a laugh, “Um, I’m so sorry.” 

“What?” Waverly pulled back and watched as Nicole looked up and bit her lip. Waverly attempted a glare and pulled down the visor to pop open the cover to the mirror. She groaned at how tussled her own hair was, “Don’t look so smug until you check yourself out.” 

Nicole popped her own visor open and then threw her head back against the headrest seeing that she’d need to completely let her hair down from her braid before any attempt at fixing it. Nicole started pulling at her hair so she could put it up into a ponytail and then she applied chapstick while Waverly was also readjusting her hair and applying lip gloss. 

“Um, can I ask you something?” Waverly snapped the visor closed and turned to sit sideways in the passenger seat. 

“Anything, Waves,” Nicole tightened her pony and closed her own visor. When she turned in her seat she reached out to lace her fingers through Waverly’s hand. 

“Um, so Chrissy and I talked this morning and I might have slipped that I was seeing someone. Though it was only because she started talking about how I needed to start scoping for a date for all these things that are going to happen this year and I didn’t mean to really but, I just get so damn happy when I think about you, and Chrissy knows me so well. But I didn’t say it was you,” Waverly rambled and her nerves had her hands trembling. 

“Whoa, slow down baby. It’s okay,” Nicole leaned over more, taking Waverly’s other hand as well.

“I just know we are keeping this quiet for now because of Wynonna and band, but I practically told her today,” Waverly really did feel guilty about the slip.

“Waves, if you want to tell Chrissy I get that. She’s your best friend and its not like you can talk about me to me,” Nicole brought a hand up to her lips and softly brushed her lips against Waverly’s knuckles. 

Her understanding and actions sent a wave of reassurance and relief through her limbs. Waverly had brief fits of moments where she thought she was going to ruin the relationship she was building with Nicole, “You aren’t mad?” 

“I do want to keep this between us for as long as possible, mostly because I’m selfish when it comes to you, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide this and I’m so sorry if I’ve pressured you into feeling that,” Nicole closed her eyes for a moment then opened them to met Waverly’s. 

A warmth spread from her chest outwards to the very tips of her limbs. She wanted to be selfish too when it came to Nicole, that selfishness being a driving force into courage for their first kiss, “I think you are the least pressuring person that I know.” 

Nicole kissed her knuckles again and sighed, “Still, I’m sorry.” 

Waverly leaned forward to rest her forehead against Nicole’s, taking a moment to breathe with her, “Maybe we can just be together how we want but just not verbally say anything? When Chrissy mentioned homecoming and the fall festival and everything else I could only imagine doing all of that with you.” 

Nicole’s smile beamed and she was still smiling when she brought her lips together for a moment, “Do you think about those things often?” 

“I’ve daydreamed about it long before I ever kissed you in the barn. Thinking about who I’d go with to the homecoming dance and prom, who I’d bob for apples with at the fall festival, winning each other stuffed animals and holding hands while going through a maze,” Waverly admitted softly. 

“You’ve thought about doing all that with me?” Nicole seemed stunned by the confession.

“I hoped,” She shrugged, a bit embarrassed to reveal her daydreams.

“Thank you for being brave enough to kiss me because I don’t think I ever would have gotten my head out of my ass to do it,” Nicole made her own admission with a slight shake of her head against Waverly’s. 

“I’ll kiss you anytime Nicole Haught,” Waverly tilted forward slightly, bringing their lips closer again. 

“I won’t stop you,” Nicole’s permission was eagerly accepted and Waverly slanted their lips together again. This time they were a bit more mindful of wandering hands to not mess up the hair they’d just fixed. 

**********

By Friday Nicole was begging for it to be the weekend for just a small reprieve. The week had quickly reminded her how much she hated high school and the exhaustion that would just now sit permanently on her shoulders until fall break. Monday’s were for sectionals, Tuesdays and Thursdays were for band practice, and Wednesday and Friday had Nicole knocking out chores on the homestead to raise some money to pay for her band fees and the yearly trip. Mostly the weekends would be for her but Curtis needed more help this year so Sundays would be spoken for, and if Nicole wanted to keep her position on the basketball team she’d have to meet every other Saturday for skirmishes. 

All that left very little time for homework and tutoring Waverly, although she was now picking up that it was more about spending time together since their first official tutor session was spent mostly with kissing. Plus, Waverly already had all her homework done for the week. Not that Nicole was complaining since she’d given explicit consent for Waverly to do so whenever her heart desired. Nicole doubted she could ever deny Waverly anything she’d want in her beautiful heart. 

She’d finished returning her supplies to the main barn that was deeper on the homestead land. Curtis had her out working to finish up a few things he hadn’t managed to before he’d needed to head into town to pick something up. She was about to jump into the ATV when she spotted the rise of dust on the side road leading up to where she was. 

Curtis pulled up in his old pick up truck that had a trailer attached. She walked up, pulling out her bandana to wipe away some of the sweat still clinging to her as she took in the sight of a rather rough looking red Jeep Wrangler strapped down to the trailer behind the truck. The bed of the truck was loaded down with boxes and parts that Nicole assumed were for the gutted vehicle being hauled. 

“Glad you’re still out here. Wanted to run something by you without all the ladies in hearing range,” Curtis had hopped out of the truck and rounded the back side to begin releasing the reins holding the Jeep in position. 

“What do you have in mind?” Nicole moved to help him. The sun would be setting soon and she didn’t want to leave Curtis out here by himself with whatever project he’d found for himself now. 

“This here is Waverly’s birthday present. I thought that maybe you’d be willing to help me fix her up and get her presentable in time,” Curtis pulled back tugging the straps free. 

“Looks like it needs quite a bit of work,” Nicole gestured to the large pile of parts having taken note that the jeep didn’t even have seats. Two of the boxes in the bed were seat shaped. 

“Waverly will want to learn how to fix her up when it’ll be needed but I figure with how you two are together you’ll be around for awhile and teaching you what I know then Waverly will have someone other than me around to keep her running,” Curtis dropped the back of the trailer and moved to open the drivers side door. 

Nicole stood frozen. ‘How you two are together’ had been how Curtis said it. Had they done something to get caught? She didn’t think they’d been anything but how they usually were before. 

“What’s gotten into ya?” Curtis had noticed her stiff shoulders and wide eyes. 

“I’m sorry sir, but what about Waverly and I?” She just needed clarification.

Curtis laughed, turning back to drop the jeep into neutral and started to push it back till the back wheels hit the ramp and jumped in to pump the brakes once it leveled back out on the ground. Brakes squealed in effort and then Nicole caught the sound of the emergency brake being pulled to bring it to a stop. 

“I take it Gus hasn’t had the talk yet about keeping doors open,” Curtis jumped out of the jeep. Nicole shook her head, mostly to shake the stiffness out of herself from the shock but also in answer. She moved to help him lift the gate of the trailer and then to release it from the back of the truck. 

“She hasn’t sir although I’m still a bit lost. What makes you think Waverly and I are together?” Nicole was curious what had given them away. 

Curtis just looked at her for a long moment and then laughed again before dragging the trailer away from the truck and getting it back into storage by the barn, “Help me push the jeep over there under the awning.” 

Nicole reached into the jeep to drop the emergency brake and shifted it back into neutral. She steered and pushed from the drivers side while Curtis took up behind the jeep to give enough force to get the old tires moving across the dirt. It took a minute but they got the jeep in a relatively good spot and Curtis gestured for help unloading the back of the truck. 

“No need to be scared. Gus and I are thrilled that Waverly’s picked you. Of all the boys, or well girls too, in town we were relieved. We’ve been meaning to talk to you both about the house rules for months now but considering how Wynonna has always been around till recently we didn’t think it was pressing to have it come from us. We figured Wy was keeping you two in line,” Curtis dropped the trucks tailgate and started grabbing a stack of parts. 

Months. Curtis though they’d been together for months. She was utterly confused, “I’m sorry, months? I don’t understand.” 

“Wait, are you not dating Waverly?” Curtis paused with arms overflowing and a confused burrow to his brow. 

“No we are but only for a couple of weeks now,” Nicole confessed mostly from the shock.

“Oh thank goodness. That would have been awkward,” Curtis chuckled again and moved to organize the parts on the workbench built into the side of the barn wall. “Gus only mentioned it to me recently when she saw the two of you on the couch last week without Wynonna around. Not that you two aren’t welcome to cuddle and watch netflix, what’s the kids calling it, chill? We just want you two to understand that doors are to remain open and hands to stay in respectful places. At least while we are around. I don’t want to hear or see anything unpleasant in regards to my favorite niece,” Curtis gave her a stern look with a point of his finger. 

She was whiplashing between shock and mortification at what Curtis was implying, “I will be nothing but respectful with Waverly, sir. This has all been at her pace.” 

“Well, I’m glad to hear that not that I would expect anything less from you Nicole,” Curtis climbed into the bed of the truck to hand her boxes that were slightly out of her reach, “And at least with you we don’t have to worry about Waverly getting pregnant.” 

Nicole nearly dropped everything in her hands and sputtered, “Of course, sir.”


	9. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Football season is officially started and it's time for the bands first performance but first...kissing.

GF<3: So apparently Curtis and Gus know about us. I just got talked to about house rules.

Waves: WHAT?!  
Waves: We’ve been so careful  
Waves: Right? 

GF<3: Apparently we’ve had heart eyes for each other for months and they haven’t said anything because Wy has always been around until recently

Waves: Months….

GF<3: Yep  
GF<3: But at least Curtis isn’t worried about me getting you knocked up

Waves: OMG! HE SAID THAT?????

GF<3: I can never look that man in the eyes again.   
GF<3: We are doing a great job at keeping this to ourselves. 

Waves: I’m sorry. I have a shit poker face.

GF<3: This one is on me. I think he just assumed but I confirmed it.

Waves: Are they okay with it? 

GF<3: Seemed that way. 

Waves: See, nothing to worry about. Besides, my family loves you. 

GF<3: We’ll see how Wy takes it though. 

Waves: Right  
Waves: Maybe let's hold off with her for a bit. I like you being alive with all your fingers.

GF<3: Me too. 

Waves: Wait….what house rules? 

GF<3: Oh you know...doors open and hands in respectable places. 

Waves: …  
Waves: What if I want hands in other places?   
Waves: And with doors closed? 

Nicole read the message multiple times before dropping her cellphone into the dirt beside her and groaned. Waverly was going to be the death of her. 

“Everything okay there, Nicole?” Curtis asked, reaching into the tool box in search for another socket. 

“Yes, sir!” Nicole picked up her phone and shot back a quick response of ‘you’ll be the death of me’, and then rolled back under the engine so they could finish replacing the starter and alternator. 

“Hope those aren’t racy texts you’re sending my niece. Might have to drop this wrench on something,” Curtis tried to be threatening but immediately chuckled at his tease but he wasn’t too far off on what Waverly had implied in her last message. 

“No, sir. Keeping it in respectable places,” Nicole twisted her ratchet attempting to get the bolt free but it was sieged in rust. The ratchet slipped off the bolt and her hand slammed forward into tight metal and her knuckles screamed in pain, “SHIT!” 

“That didn’t sound good!” Curtis pulled at the rolling mat that Nicole laid on and tugged her out from underneath the Jeep. 

Nicole held her hand in the other and messaged it around the busted knuckle. The skin was torn open and blood was pooling up to drip down her hand. Curtis held out a clean rag for her to take and Nicole blotted at the open cut with a soft hiss. Considering how rusted some parts of the Jeep were, this probably wouldn’t be Nicole's first busted up knuckle over the future repairs that awaited them. 

“Well, this might be more of a challenge then I thought it would be,” Curtis checked her hand over with a sympathetic smile. 

“It’s for Waverly, sir. We’ll power through,” Nicole made a fist and determined it would only be a deep bruise and she would be fine. 

*********

It was blistering hot and Waverly tried her best to hold herself at attention without twitching. The bead of sweat that was dripping off the tip of her nose was tickling and her eyes stung from the heat and moisture. Their first football game of the season was tomorrow night and Lucado was making them repeat the show over and over again. As far as Waverly could tell they weren’t making obvious mistakes so this had to be more for muscle memory than correction. 

She had a brief moment with Nicole during their last water break and Nicole took a minute to vent to her about how irritating Perry was. Waverly had dared a look in his direction and caught the sneer he directed to Nicole. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms protectively around Nicole and give him a piece of her mind. She had run her fingers softly over Nicole's busted knuckles, bruising and cuts that she couldn’t get an explanation for no matter how many times she tried persuading the answers out of her girlfriend.

At least during their brief moments of passing each other on the field they shared a wink and a hopefully subtle smile before flanking off and continuing their formations. 

“Alright, everyone. The show is getting better but we need to shift focus so we can all get out of here before the sun goes down but no one is going home until we are ready for tomorrow. Section leaders are going to block you all off into our parade formation. This is how we’ll be marching in from the band room into the stands. We are going to practice this until I feel like we look like the Devils I know we are,” Lucado dismissed them and their section leaders started pulling them off into lines and pacing them all out. 

Waverly took the break from attention to roll out her shoulders and wipe her face dry, again. Her shirt was soaked through and she’d regretted not having a change of clothes in her bag back in the band room. She’d just have to be disgusting until she got back to the homestead and could take a shower. Although, each glimpse she could get of Nicole had her mouth dry for other reasons. 

Conner got her and Robin situated in their line and were told to hold still until they could get started. Waverly was next to the end, a junior was placed next to her in strategy for helping the line keep in step. From where she was standing though she could catch brief moments of Nicole positioning her drummers and pacing out the next line. Nicole and Perry would take point in front of them all to lead the cadence. Each time Nicole came into view she watched as the sheen of sweat glistened over her shoulders and the blue tank clung to her skin to outline her strong back and abs. 

“You’re drooling,” Robin elbowed her. She gasped and quickly wiped at her mouth but then groaned because, no, she wasn’t actually drooling. Robin chuckled and she shot him a glare. 

“You are an ass,” Waverly let her head drop back and rolled her shoulders again. 

“Who are you starting at anyway? I wouldn’t peg you to be into Crofte but you do shoot looks at him all the time,” Robin shifted his gaze from the baritone line and Waverly followed what she had a hunch had been the object of his own stare; Jeremy. 

“Ew, Crofte is not my type,” Waverly looked around and noted that everyone was placed and then saw that Lucado was about to call them to attention. Robin followed her lead and she started to prep her stance to be ready for it. 

“BAND TEN HUT!” Lucado’s voice carried over the field, boosted by the megaphone she was now sporting. 

Everyone snapped to attention. Lucado spoke to Shae next to her and after a moment Shae vacated the podium to take her place at the very front of the band. Behind her was the dance line and color guard and then Nicole, Perry and the rest of the percussion line. 

Shae gave out an order but this far back into the parade line and Waverly couldn’t hear her so she followed the lead of the junior beside her. Within a few seconds she could hear the clacking of Nicole’s sticks against the rim of her drum before they turned into the cadence. The line started to march in place. Only Nicole and Perry played the cadence at the moment. 

“Okay kids this part is really simple. Your drum major will lead you from the band room to the bleachers. At some points you’ll play the fight song which you all should have memorized now so you won’t need your flip folders but for today I will allow it if you still need it. For the rest of practice you’ll be led around the field, up the hill to the band room, back down, and into the bleachers. Keep your pacing to the person beside you and the line in front of you. Shae, whenever you're ready,” Lucado clicked off the megaphone. 

Waverly steeled herself for what she assumed was about to be torture. She did have the fight song memorized so she wasn’t worried with her flip folder already being by her stuff on the side of the field. She could hear Nicole and Perry start up a different rift for the cadence and then the rest of the percussion line was filling in. Then the line was moving as Shae started to lead the band down the field. 

Eventually Waverly and Robin weren’t marching in place but following to keep the pace to the line in front of them and with the person beside them. Waverly picked up the change in the cadence and the signal for them to raise their instruments to start the fight song. The first play through was adequate, at least it sounded that way to Waverly and Lucado didn’t scream at them to start over. Shae curved the band around the field like a game of snake on those old nokia phones and then they were led out of the field through the gate and up the hill. They circled the school twice and then came to a stop by the band room. 

They marched in place for a while, played the fight song once, and then they were off again. This time Shae led them down the hill and into the side gate onto the field. Waverly only felt nervous when it was their turn to march up the steel steps onto the bleachers. She didn’t trip but she knew that worry would happen every time she had to march up those stairs. 

Eventually they were led to the end where the band would reside and they filled into the rows. Lucado watched them intensely and for the most part they all seemed to get it right. From her place in the bleachers she could look down and see the back of Nicole’s head. They were on the main level of the bleachers and she and Perry were swaying to the beat against their snares. She was at least excited that she’d get to watch her girlfriend do her thing from her place in the bleachers.

**************

Waverly and Nicole made a plan that when school let out that they would slip off to grab some food and then hang around until it was time to start getting ready for the game. The homestead was too far to go and relax before having to drive back. They had briefly thought of going to Nicole’s apartment but she was actively avoiding her parents the best she could and didn’t want to risk them being there. Especially if Waverly would be with her. 

They sat in Nicole’s car, parked out at the abandoned TJ MAXX, and ate Taco Bell. The radio was playing softly and they both sat turned in towards each other. Nicole had finished her burrito and was drumming along to the song on the center console and her knee. 

“You nervous?” Nicole leaned her head back against the headrest and looked over as Waverly finished her food and crumbled up the wrapper to dump into the bag. 

“Me? Never,” Waverly wiped her hands and then settled back how she was in the seat. 

“I always get nervous just up until we start the cadence and then it’s show time. Such a rush,” Nicole smiled and Waverly caught on to what she was offering. An opening for her to be honest with her feelings. Nicole was always able to do that, able to read her so completely. 

“So I am nervous,” She confessed and honestly it was no point in ever keeping her feelings from Nicole. Not when she was the safest space for her to share them. Nicole tilted her head with a soft smile and reached across to take Waverly’s hand. 

“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Nicole’s words were a comfort. Waverly looked down and ran her thumb over the bruised and scabbed over knuckles. 

“Still won’t tell me what happened here?” Waverly brought Nicole’s hand up for a second before letting it drop back down into her lap. 

“Nope. Sworn to secrecy,” Nicole motioned like she was zipping her lip with her free hand. 

“It’s not fighting right? Can you at least tell me that?” Waverly worried having noticed that Wynonna was being grumpier than usual and maybe her sister had gotten Nicole into some trouble. 

“Not fighting. I promise. These are good things,” Nicole reassured, leaning forward and pecking Waverly’s lips with reassurance. 

“How are bruises and cuts a good thing?” 

“You’ll understand soon enough,” Nicole wasn’t budging on her secrecy and Waverly wasn’t sure what to think about. Nicole’s eyes darted to the clock on the dash and Waverly immediately knew what her current sly smile hinted at, “We still have some time before we have to get back to the band room.” 

“Oh,” Waverly was already leaning forward and Nicole met her the rest of the way. Their lips slanted together and Waverly brought her hands to rest on the back of Nicole’s neck to play with the fine hairs there. She breathed in Nicole’s scent, vanilla, and her nerves for the night and thoughts of anything that wasn’t the mouth pressed against hers drifted far into the back of her mind. 

She felt Nicole’s hand grip at her wrist before following a trail down her arm, up to her shoulder and then canted downward to travel the curve of her side until it palmed at her waist. Her skin jumped when she felt a thumb brush against the exposed skin from where her shirt had started to rise. She flexed her fingers tighter against the back of Nicole’s neck and inhaled deeply. Nicole surged forward and grunted as the center console jerked her back. 

She shifted to her knees and pushed forward so she could lean more into Nicole over the console and bring them chest to chest. The console dug into her hips and she grunted in frustration as she just wanted to be closer. She didn’t realize she was pushing more until Nicole’s body relented and fell back into the driver's seat, Waverly following. She felt brazen in the moment so she used the momentum and brought one leg over the center and Nicole’s lap until she was stretched out over most of the front seat. Her weight pushed Nicole back more, Waverly’s hands now on Nicole’s shoulders to brace herself as she finished bringing herself into Nicole’s lap. 

There was a gasp against her lips and now both of Nicole’s hands were gripping at her waist, fingers splayed against exposed skin as Waverly settled into her lap. Finally, Waverly felt a bit of content as their torsos rested against each other. A new set of nerves set low in Waverly’s gut as it caught up to her exactly the position she’d just placed them into. Although she had a safety net; they didn’t have enough time and they were parked in public. 

Nicole’s hands stayed firm against her waist but her lips moved fluidly against hers, the occasional flick of a tongue at Waverly’s lower lip. Heat sparked from her core and she moved against Nicole’s body trying to find more contact which was impossible in the driver's seat of Nicole’s tiny car. 

HONK

Waverly jumped forward, chest thrusting into Nicole’s face. The hands on her waist gripped tightly and Nicole gasped against the thin material of Waverly’s t-shirt. 

“Ugh, why couldn’t you drive a truck?” Waverly pulled back, mindful not to shove her ass into the steering wheel again. 

“Hey, Delilah gets great gas mileage, and I didn’t consider getting mounted by my girlfriend in the front seat when making the purchase,” Nicole joked but Waverly noticed the red tint on her cheeks and how she was still trying to catch her breath. Waverly reached up, running her thumb over Nicole’s bottom lip with pride at how swollen they were. She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss against those lips before pulling back and maneuvering herself back into the passenger seat. 

Nicole turned the air up and popped a button on her polo to open it up more. Waverly felt that heat in her core again as Nicole’s tongue ran over her bottom lip.

“We need a place we can properly make out,” Waverly blurted. It was starting to get frustrating at the homestead now that Wynonna was starting to hang around a bit more and with the house rules now established she was finding it harder to get her girlfriend alone to do more than just place a peck on those perfect plump lips. She was also getting really annoyed with only making out in Nicoles car which just proved how cramped it was to do what Waverly wanted. 

Nicole chuckled and reached across to tuck some hair behind Waverly’s ear, “Baby, what’s wrong with my car?”

“I just, okay don’t laugh,” Waverly started and then fixed Nicole with a look who responded with lifted hands in surrender, “Sometimes I just want to climb you like a tree and it’s really hard when we can only really kiss in your car.” 

Nicole blushed, the red rising back into her cheeks, “Baby, um, wow.” Waverly leaned back, embarrassment flaring from her chest up into her cheeks, “No, no, no. Don’t be embarrassed.” 

Nicole took Waverly’s hands and leaned across to kiss Waverly once, “Can I admit something?” 

“Please, god, anything,” Waverly was still caught up in her embarrassment of admitting a thought she probably shouldn’t have voiced. 

“I want you to climb me like a tree,” Nicole leaned her forehead against Waverly’s as she let out a deep laugh. 

“That’s a relief,” Waverly chuckled, hands coming back up to Nicole’s neck. 

“I’ll see if I can’t figure out a better make out spot,” Nicole offered. 

“That would be nice,” Waverly sighed and then leaned forward to kiss Nicole again. 

************

The band room was bustling and the noise level was louder than what Waverly could think with. Everyone was half dressed in their uniforms, not putting on their jackets and capes until absolutely necessary since they were wool and it was unbearably hot outside and in the band room. Waverly was off in her normal corner with Robin and Jeremy. They’d spent the few minutes of free time cracking jokes and talking through their rookie nerves. 

Nicole was bouncing around her percussion line making sure everyone was prepped and sticks were wrapped properly and shoes polished. She loved watching Nicole in section leader mode and her two friends kept catching her looking in that direction to the point that Robin started joking again about her having the hots for one of them. 

Considering how terrible she was at keeping her relationship with Nicole, she forced herself to stop looking in that direction in case she outed them once again by accident. Lucado and Shae started moving around the band room signaling it was time to finish getting ready. The trio helped each other get into their jackets, gauntlets, and capes. Once finished they popped open the hat cases to pull their bucket hats out and then grabbed their instruments. 

The band lined up at the doors to head outside while a couple of band parents stood by with crates of what looked like paper towel rolls that stored the plumes they needed to complete their uniform. The line moved decently and when Waverly received her plume she excitedly slotted it into place and then slid her hat onto her head. She started down the parade line but a hand reached out to grab her shoulder.

“You’re a little crooked, rookie,” Nicole righted Waverly and then adjusted her hat and slipped her two fingers against the bridge of her nose and pulled the hat down until the brim rested against her fingers, “There, perfect.” 

With a wink Nicole turned back around and Waverly took the chance to really appreciate how Nicole looked in uniform. The blue was definitely Nicole’s color, very striking with her skin tone and sharp red locks. Her braid was tucked up into her own bucket hat and the strap rested against her chin. The brace for her snare was tucked under jacket but her snare was still unattached. She was twirling her sticks and joking with some of the other players. 

She snapped out of her stare as she realized that Robin and Jeremy were approaching. She turned on her heel to give them a bright smile and then followed them down to their places in the parade line. It was still a bit before the rest of the band took their places and for Shae to start their warm ups. Her nerves kept building until it just about exploded out of her when Shae called them to attention to prepare to march down into the stands. 

“Okay, everyone! It’s the first game of the season and part of what we’ve been getting ready for. This is what we consider the practice for competition, which will be here before you know it. Now, rookies, this is the first night of your marching career. Take in the sights and follow your section leaders. Seniors, this is the first night of the end of your marching career. I hope you cherish the moments. Make me proud kids. Go Devils!” Lucado dropped her megaphone and motioned for Shae to take over. 

She took deep steady breathes and she heard Nicole and Perry start up the cadence and then they were off. She was hyper focused on her feet of all things. By this point simple marching was muscle memory but she was so afraid she’d fall out of step to those next to her or take too big or too small steps and fall out of line. She was so focused she almost missed the cue to raise her trumpet and take a deep breath to play the fight song. 

As they got closer to the field she could hear the crowd over the drums. People were lined on either side of the band having gotten caught in the parade while trying to get onto the field. Conner had instructed them that part of the role was keeping their face stoic and not looking anywhere but straight ahead. It was hard because she wondered if her family was here yet and she really wanted to look for them. 

She was coming up on the steel step before she realized that was her next big worry but she was up the step without tripping and felt a sigh of relief that she hadn’t tripped yet and she was almost about to be safely tucked up into the stands where she wouldn’t have to worry about the marching part until half time. 

Once in the stands she breathed easier and she took in the entire scene around her. The football teams were warming up on the field, both sides of the stands were filling in with parents and students, and she spotted Chrissy down with the cheerleaders doing one of their routines. When the band finally finished filling in, Shae called them to attention. Parents and students next to them cheered when they all shouted “Devils” at the call. Shae held up a whiteboard with ‘fight song’ written in bold letters so everyone could read it. A moment later they were playing through the song and the student section singing the words. 

They circled through a handful of songs before the announcer started speaking and leading everyone through the pledge, prayer, and introducing the teams. Once the ball was kicked they were instructed to take their hats off and to be mindful of their plumes and not to bend them. The first quarter of the game went by in a flash and the Devils were losing already. Waverly didn’t know much about football so she had no clue what was going on. 

Occasionally the drum line would do a roll and the crowd would yell along and then the ball would be kicked but that was about all Waverly could follow. So she looked out over the crowd and paid attention to some of the cheer routines. They would play a song here and there. Her nerves were building to the point that half way through the second quarter she was bouncing. She wasn’t alone as most everyone seemed really excited too as it got closer for them to put their hats back on and head down to the field to start lining up. 

She felt like she teleported her hat to her head when the signal was finally given. She helped Robin straighten his out, using the method Nicole had and he checked hers as well. They didn’t march back out, just filled out and walked across the bleachers to get to the clearing off to the side. Waverly looked into the stands and managed to find Gus and Curtis along the way. She smiled and waved in return to their enthusiastic waves. 

Before she knew it they were done with a brief warm up and Lucado had given another speech about this being the first and last for some of them. Then they were lined up and waiting for the buzzard to sound for half time. They stayed lined up until the visiting band took the field for their starting position and then they filled in to watch. They all respectfully took a knee to watch the show. 

The visiting bands show seemed to be entertaining as the crowd cheered them on. The music was really catchy too. Waverly kind of wished she could see it from the stands to get the full effect. She briefly wondered if Curtis remembered the camera so she could watch the show later. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest as the other band marched off the field. Then she was up on her feet and heading to her starting position. She focused on her breathing, hoping it would steady her hands. The percussion line passed in front of her and Nicole caught her eyes and gave her a bright smile and wink. It did the trick, resetting the reason for her heart jumping in her chest. 

The crowd in the stands cheered and the announcer came over the speakers again, “Everyone please welcome Purgatory’s marching Devils!”

Nicole’s voice shouted, echoing across the field, and then she was clicking at the rim of her drum before launching into the intricate beat to lead the percussion line on the field. 

“Our drum major for the Purgatory Devils is Shae Pressman. Shae, is your band ready?” 

Waverly couldn’t see from her position but she knew Shae was doing her starting routine before calling the band to attention. The collective shout of “Devils” reverberated through the stands. Shae marched forward and took to the podium then pivoted to face the band. A raise of her hands and they were off. 

It was muscle memory at this point and that definitely helped against the nervousness of her very first performance. By the time the band transitioned into the third song she was riding a high she didn’t know existed. Everything seemed to accelerate and the show was ending (complete with Nicole’s wink when they passed each other). Parents cheered in the stands as they marched off the field just in time for the football teams to run back out. 

Holy shit! Waverly Earp had just performed her first show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this update. More marching stuff in this one and I'm hoping I did the memory justice.


	10. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Curtis has a proposal for Nicole. Wynonna is skipping class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get some Wynonna in this one. Can't wait to read comments for this update. Enjoy.

Nicole was just about ready to put her fist through the body of the Jeep. She had climbed into the back to be able to reach under the driver seat bracket so she could finally get the new seat bolted into place before debating with Curtis again on if they should install the back bench just yet. The damn thing was just being stubborn and she was getting tired of smashing her knuckles every few seconds. It was definitely proof that she never wanted to be a mechanic for her future career prospect. 

“Hey Nicole, this baby is looking sharp! You’ve almost got her ready,” Curtis peeked at her under the seat from the driver door. 

“Afternoon sir,” She finished tightening the final bolt and shimmed her way out with flailing limbs until her feet were back on the ground. 

Curtis gave the drivers seat a few jarring yanks to test the sturdiness and nodded when it didn’t budge. She pulled out the rag from her back pocket and wiped her hands as clean as she could get them. It was late Sunday afternoon and she imagined Gus would be calling them soon for an early supper. She’d have to get washed up from all this grease without too much notice from Waverly if she had any hope of keeping the Jeep as a surprise. Waverly was getting bolder in her guess each time Nicole appeared with a new bruise or scrape. It didn’t help when Curtis had shown up to dinner one night with similar looking hands after they’d spent the evening struggling to remove the radiator. Such a simple repair and yet a big pain in the ass. 

“I appreciate all your help with this. I’ve always told Larry and the guys that you can tell a person's character by how well they manage their anger when rebuilding a rusted out vehicle. Considering how big of a challenge this project was, I’ve once again been impressed by you Nicole,” Curtis slapped a hand down on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. 

Her heart flipped a bit at the fatherly gesture and she smiled. She tucked the rag back into her back pocket and fought down the rising emotion in her chest. She’d never get this kind of comment from her own father, nor would she ever have any kind of bonding experience like rebuilding a car with him either. Curtis stepped away over to the work bench and opened a box that he’d brought out with him.

“I’m sorry it took me longer to get this back to you but I wanted to make sure it was perfect. Ended up not liking the first stain and stripped it down to do it again. Anyway, I hope it’s fitting,” Curtis picked up the case he’d built for her Aunt’s flag which was tucked inside behind a layer of glass. The stain around it was a deep walnut and a silver plate rested at the bottom center with her Aunt’s name, rank, and dates. 

She lifted it with all the care her shaking hands could manage and traced the edging of the name plate. Her heart constricted in her chest and for a moment she couldn’t draw a full breath into her lungs. She ran her hands along the bottom and felt a divot in the wood. With a tilt she could see Curtis’s initials had been carved. 

“Thank you,” Nicole’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat at the betrayal of her emotions. 

“You’re family, which made her family too. It’s the least I could do,” Curtis rubbed her shoulder again and then stepped back to let her have a moment. 

She placed the case back into the box and moved to load it up into the UTV to drive back to the house where her car was. 

Curtis finished unloading the rest of the feed from the back of his truck and called out to Nicole, “Hey, before we head back to the house I’ve got another project to propose and wanted to talk to you about something Gus and I have been thinking.”

“Sure thing boss,” Nicole answered and grabbed her baseball cap to rest back on her head to keep the lowering sun out of her eyes. 

“Excellent, we’ll take the UTV. Mind driving me up to the old cabins?” Curtis closed up his truck and walked over to where Nicole had parked by the barn. She nodded and moved to take the driver's seat, plotting out the quickest way to reach the old ranch hand quarters on the far front lot of the Earp’s land. Nobody had lived out there since Larry’s single days. Curtis climbed in and once he was situated she took off in that direction. 

After a few minutes into the ride the well beaten path of worn tracks faded as the old path had started to regrow from lack of daily travel. The house was visible to the right as the cabins were tucked just up to the tree line but within an easy track to the main house. It used to be that ranch hands lived out in the four cabins before Ward had inherited the ranch in his twenties. It was no secret that Ward hated the ranch and refused to run it, leaving it mostly to Curtis to ensure the property wasn’t run into the ground. Curtis had hired some help in the early days but Ward’s behavior made most people uncomfortable so they’d refused to reside in the free lodging and opted to stay off the land unless they had work to do. Larry had been the only exception until he married and moved into his wife's house. 

“So what are we doing out here,” Nicole pulled the UTV to a stop in the weed infested patch of land and took stock of the remaining cabins. 

Of the four cabins, the left two had caved in roofs, the middle right was missing its door and windows, and the far right one looked as if the foundation had split and was rotting. All four were in terrible condition and looked far beyond repair. Curtis was along the same thoughts as he let out a long string of curses and pulled himself out of the UTV. 

“They look much worse than I remember. It’s going to take a year to get all these rebuilt,” Curtis pulled his Stetson off his head and slapped it against his thigh in frustration. He probably hadn’t been out to the cabins since Larry moved off property a few years ago. 

“If you don’t mind me asking but why’d we come out here?” Nicole came up beside him to get a closer look at the failing structures. They’d just need to be torn down, foundation cleared, and rebuilt. 

“Right, it’s something Gus and I wanted to talk to you about. You’ve been a huge part of this operation since we hired you a couple of years ago. You have a real knack for the work and the other guys love ya. We weren’t sure what your plans are after you graduate next year, and we know things with your folks aren’t the best. Well, we wanted to offer you a permanent place here with us. We need good ranch hands and I can’t offer much in terms of pay but if we got these cabins rebuilt one of them could be yours,” Curtis placed his Stetson back on his head and rested his hands on his hips. He didn’t turn to look at her but she was sure he could feel her stare at his profile. 

A permanent home. One that would be something she made for herself. Her thoughts spun wildly, clashing with daydreams she’d had of enlisting to follow in her Aunt’s footsteps. She also thought of Waverly; incredibly intelligent and meant for more than Purgatory. Taking a full time position as a ranch hand would be giving herself roots on the Earp land she’d cherish but she didn’t know if that was entirely her future. 

“I appreciate the offer Curtis. I’m more than happy to help you get these rebuilt. Living quarters would be a great incentive for hiring some help. We definitely need some,” Nicole skirted the answer to the obvious offer and when Curtis turned to meet her gaze she knew he hadn't missed that. 

“I’ve got a guy to help us do the work. It’ll be some longer days since this will be added onto our current chores. Waverly offered to put up some flyers at the school to see if any of the kids want some work too. I wouldn’t trust them to build a cabin but we could delegate some mucking and baling hay,” Curtis dropped his shoulders with a deep breath, “Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?” 

He’d circled back to the elephant in the conversation. Being honest felt like the best path forward, “I’ve been thinking I’d enlist and deploy like my Aunt.” 

Curtis hummed with a nod and then moved forward to cautiously climb up one of the cabins front porches to peer inside. She followed but didn’t follow all the way up in fear her weight just might be a tipping point in the rotting wood that creaked under Curtis.

“That’s mighty noble of you Nicole and frankly I’m not surprised. Have you told Waverly and Wynonna your plans?” Curtis moved to open the door but it fell off the hinges and with a grunt he tossed it out into the yard with frustration. 

“Not yet, sir. I’m kinda keeping this one close to the chest for now,” Nicole started to lean against the front railing but it quickly gave out with soft splintering, “Geez.” She ripped the railing apart without much effort and tossed it where the door was. Knocking the structures down would be child’s play and therapeutic. She had an idea to bring Wynonna out with a sledgehammer to help. 

“Well, whatever you decide to do Nicole, you will always have a job here. Even if,” Curtis trailed off and waved his hand in the direction of the house. The statement was clear.

“Even if Waverly and I don’t stay together?” Nicole voiced it so he wouldn’t have to. That thought had crossed her mind. Waverly was her center of gravity and Nicole knew she was quickly falling in love. It felt on the tip of her tongue but she wouldn’t voice it. Despite strong feelings and the inevitable draw they were still just in high school. They still had graduation and Waverly would have college to consider. The land and it’s livestock would always be here but Waverly might not stay and if Nicole followed her other heart's desire, neither would she. This was still a ways off and not something to drown herself in now but she’d always had a good head on her shoulders. She wasn’t going to move forward without considering the future and it’s possibilities. 

“You’ve always been someone with an old soul. I guess your experiences made you grow up too fast and you consider things more maturely than others your age. I trust, if something were to happen with you and Waverly, that you wouldn’t stop coming around. I think you two could still be friends after a heartbreak. Besides, there is still Wynonna who is your best friend. She’d be upset with you but she’d move past it too,” Curtis came back down from the cabin and stood before her. “If things were to blow up and be a nasty break up, the cabins are far enough away you could work and not run into each other. I don’t think that would be the case but I’d like you to always know you’d still have a place here.” 

She felt that swell of emotion again and forced it down with a swallow through her constricting throat. Even if the worst was to happen she was still being offered a home, “Thank you, sir. I will always consider it. We should start tearing these down as soon as possible. I can start on it after supper?” 

“Nonsense, Wednesday is early enough. You can use the truck and trailer. Maybe we’ll have some help by then too,” Curtis smiled and then turned to climb back into the UTV. It was good timing too because Nicole picked up the faint echo of the bell Gus would ring to signal food while they were out working. If they didn’t show in a few minutes Gus would start blowing up their cellphones. 

She climbed into the driver's seat and started it up. He’d left her with a lot to think about on top of everything else she wanted to just shove away to think about later. Maybe some demolition work would be therapeutic for more than just Wynonna. 

**********

Wynonna was skipping class and Nicole wasn’t having it. She’d skipped class the previous week as well and it was too early into the semester for this already. So when she noticed that Wynonna didn’t pull out her history textbook from her locker between classes, Nicole opted to follow her and skip class herself. She groaned in frustration when she realized just where Wynonna was heading and who she suspected would already be there. 

Wynonna dipped underneath the bleachers at the practice field and Nicole could hear the muffled excitement as she rounded the corner of the steel beams that supported the structure. 

“Whoa Wy. Didn’t know you were bringing sexy and tall with you.” 

Nicole recognized the voice before she fully saw who Wynonna was currently crawling into the lap of. 

“Hey Rosita,” Nicole dropped her backpack and crossed her arms. She couldn’t tell just how irritated she was yet. 

For her part, Wynonna looked a little bit sheepish with a slight blush at her cheeks, “Why are you following me for Haught Sauce?” 

“Noticed you were going to skip. Guess I wanted to see what was more important than your education,” Nicole quipped. 

“Oh get over yourself. You’ve skipped plenty for a make out under the bleachers. Don’t forget I needed to bleach my eyeballs after catching you under here with Amanda you horn dog,” Wynonna at least made a move to slip off of Rosita’s lap. 

“That was a trying time. Are you trying to tell me you’re going through something? Since when is Rosita and you a thing?” Nicole then realized the insult, “Sorry, don’t mean to offend.” 

Rosita shrugged and pulled a lighter out one pocket and a tin can from the other. Nicole took notice and waited to see what Rosita was about to light up. Rosita pulled out a joint and tucked the tin back into her pocket and waved it towards the both of them, “Wanna smoke?” 

“Oh baby, you are more than some perky tits,” Wynonna purred and took the joint between her lips. Before Nicole could reach to snatch it away Rosita had it lit and Wynonna was taking a deep drag. Nicole took a deep breath and tried not to grind her teeth in frustration. Getting a buzz in the loft on the weekends was one thing but risking getting caught at school was another level of self destruction Nicole was witnessing. 

She stamped down the judgement she was thinking. Wynonna was still struggling with losing Willa and that struggle would never go away. The battle they had was finding better coping mechanisms but Wynonna wasn’t even considering anything other than shutting her brain off with the current habits she was partaking in. Nicole was at a loss for what she could do. All she could be was a friend and try to be supportive. 

“Want a hit?” Rosita offered the joint in Nicole's direction. Oh, the temptation was strong. She was dreading practice after school, she had a pile of homework that needed done, and she understood deeply the grief that Wynonna was still feeling. Maybe she could use a bit of that relief as well. Being high was more mellow than downing a bottle of whiskey and she and Wynonna could sneak into the gym lockers for a quick shower before next class. Worse case people would just think they had bad allergies with bloodshot eyes. 

“Come on Haught shot! You know you wanna,” Wynonna took another hit and held the joint out while she turned to blow the smoke into Rosita’s mouth. Nicole tossed her head back with a cracked resolve. It would be less to smoke for Wynonna if it was being split between three people. She took it from Wynonna and took a deep drag, holding the smoke in her lungs until the burning became too much and she released it with a sigh into the air. 

“Well, looks like you’ve done this before. I expected more coughing,” Rosita took it back and after a few more passes Nicole finished off the last of it. Nicole dropped down to lean back against one of the beams and wait for the effects to take over her system. 

“So, since we’ve got some time and I’ve got you to myself, wanna tell me who's got you all bothered now?” Wynonna gave Nicole a pointed look.

“I have no idea what you’re on about Wy,” Nicole rolled her head and closed her eyes as some of the tension released with a crack. 

“Considering how all up on Shae you were over the summer, you’ve bounced back pretty quick. You are not single and I wanna know who you are banging now,” Wynonna wagged her finger, “You know, so I don’t double dip in your sundae.” 

“Oh my gosh, gross dude. You won’t be double dipping into anything,” Nicole fought back a gag, “I’m not seeing anyone.” 

“I don’t buy it. You smile down at your phone way too often and it’s not me you’re texting so,” Wynonna looked smug like she was solving the greatest secret. 

“How worried do I need to be that we are skipping class to get high?” Nicole deflected. Wynonna’s smug look quickly turned sour and she huffed before leaning back to close her eyes to not look at Nicole anymore. 

“I’m fine.” 

Nicole just nodded even though Wynonna’s eyes were still closed. Rosita had twisted to stretch out and lay her head into Wynonna’s lap. Besides the current discovery that Wynonna was getting high now and not just wasted, Nicole also wondered how long things had been going on with Rosita. Honestly, Nicole didn’t really know what Wynonna was getting into these days and despite feeling the calm creeping through her limbs from the weed, she was rather upset with herself for not paying more attention to what was going on. 

“Tomorrow night I need your help with a project. You’ll need a sledgehammer,” Nicole put the offer out but she was determined that it wasn’t going to be optional. 

Wynonna sat up with excitement, “I’m in!” 

Nicole really shouldn’t have worried since the offer involved destruction, Wynonna’s favorite thing. 

************

Waverly was slouched over her desk grumbling while frantically erasing the math equation she’d just checked and discovered she’d followed the wrong formula. Nicole was stretched out on her bed reading through the rough draft of the paper Waverly had asked for her opinion on. 

“You okay baby?” Nicole stopped attempting to read the same sentence again as Waverly’s noises were getting angrier. There had been a few particular grunts that had spiked a ball of arousal deep in her core that was making it impossible for her to concentrate on proofreading. 

“I’m losing my mind with this worksheet. I swear I know that I know this but I just keep getting these two things backwards,” Waverly tossed the eraser down and slumped back in her chair, running her hands through her hair. 

Nicole shifted off the bed and came up behind her, placing her hands on Waverly’s shoulders, “You’ll get it baby. Maybe just take a break?” She flexed her fingers into the tight muscles and rubbed her thumbs between Waverly’s shoulder blades. The tenseness loosened with a drawn moan from Waverly’s lips. 

Her fingers faltered for a moment but with a deep breath she continued, moving her hands down to loosen out a few more knots lower on Waverly’s back. Waverly’s head tilted forward with a breathed out ‘Oh god’ and Nicole continued. She worked the path up and down Waverly’s spine twice before Waverly shot up from her seat and pivoted into Nicole’s chest. Small hands shoved at her chest and she yelped in surprise as she stumbled back until she was bouncing against the mattress. 

Her eyes darted to the half closed door. It was technically open but she also knew Gus, Curtis, and Wynonna hadn’t made it home yet for the evening. Her eyes were back on Waverly who was climbing up the bed and into her lap, “Please tell me this is okay.” 

Her hands moved to Waverly’s waist and she sat up quickly which slotted Waverly more against her. Agile fingers were already gripping at the back of her neck as she closed the distance between their lips. Waverly sighed against her, fingers biting into the skin at her neck while she restrained herself from running her own hands over places she hadn’t dared too yet. 

She wasn’t sure how much time they’d have but she wasn’t going to waste it. Waverly had been getting reluctant to keep making out in her tiny car now that she’d set off the horn a handful of times and with the growing pile of homework and their first competition that weekend they’d scarcely had any opportunity either. 

“Waves,” She breathed the word out but wasn’t sure how to voice what she wanted. Waverly responded by running her tongue along Nicole’s lower lip before pulling it between her teeth to nip gently. Heat surged through her body and she gripped the rolling hips against her and with a quick tuck and twist she was lying on top of Waverly, nestled between her legs. “This okay?” The sight of Waverly beneath her, hair splayed out against her pillow, and hips still canting to reach hers was leaving her breathless and filled with want. 

“Fuck yes,” Waverly didn’t even hesitate with the swear and pulled Nicole back down against her, connecting their lips again. Feeling Waverly molded against her was a dream. She ran a trembling hand from waist up to curl underneath between body and bed. Her other arm she used to prop her weight from fully trapping Waverly against the bed. 

She jolted as fingers tickled under her shirt at her waist and then Waverly was snaking a hand underneath to flex against her lower back. The touch was electric and warm and Nicole wanted it everywhere. Waverly panted against her lips and Nicole was desperate to see if her touch would have the same affect. She grazed lightly down the curve of her side until she reached the hem. Waverly’s fingers bit into the flesh of her back as she slipped her own hand under the soft fabric of Waverly’s shirt. 

Another gasp and moan filled her mouth as she dared to reach up further, fingertips skirting the defined ridges of Waverly’s abs. God, that hard muscle against her touch had her blood boiling. Her own shirt had been pulled up some to allow Waverly more room to explore and in Nicole’s effort to reach skin, Waverly’s shirt was riding up as well. With an eager thrust from Waverly’s hips, she felt their skin touch more and she gasped. 

“This feels so good, please don’t stop,” Waverly begged before swiping her tongue through parted lips as Nicole tried to take in a breath. Waverly slipped her hand lower, fingers now dipping beneath the belt and waist of her jeans against her backside. She moaned as fingers gripped into the flesh and pulled Nicole closer. Waverly’s other hand gripped at the belt encouraging the movement between them. 

She heard the front door close and she pulled back with wide eyes, “Shit!”. She rolled to the side while Waverly caught on to the panic and vaulted herself from underneath to the other side of the bed. In the frantic action to split apart Nicole thudded to the floor and Waverly bolted into the bathroom just seconds before the bedroom door was shoved open. 

Nicole panicked and started doing push ups, “19, 20, 21.”

“What the fuck are you doing Haught Potato?” Wynonna kicked at her back foot. 

“Just killing time waiting on your sorry ass to get home,” Nicole rolled over to her side and propped herself up on an elbow. 

“Jeez, how many push ups have you been doing? You’re a bit red in the face,” Wynonna laughed and crossed her arms.

“A few.” She sighed and pulled herself to her feet. 

“Where’s Waves?” 

Nicole pointed to the bathroom and breathed a bit easier realizing that Wynonna hadn’t realized what she’d almost walked in on. Nicole pulled herself up to her feet and adjusted her clothes as subtly as possible. 

“Cool, cool, cool,” Wynonna rocked on her feet and clicked her tongue, “So can we go beat shit up now?” 

“Been waiting on you haven’t I?” Nicole chuckled and led Wynonna out of Waverly’s bedroom. She did not want to be on the receiving end of that frustration when Waverly finally came out of her bathroom. “I’ll be back later Waves and I’ll finish proofreading that paper.” 

“Oh you’re going to finish it alright!” Waverly called back out through the door. 

“She okay?” Wynonna asked, picking up on the frustrated growl even from out in the hallway. 

“Um, yes? Just a, uh, rough day.”


	11. Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Waverly's first competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in this update but it's a bit longer than pervious ones so I hope that makes up for it. Enjoy!

The sun has barely risen and despite having gone to bed fairly late the previous night after the football game Waverly was all bouncing energy in the kitchen as she made herself and Nicole some breakfast. Today is their first band competition. She’s already dressed in the royal blue band shirt with it’s white printed devil face on the back and her skinny black jeans that are the mandated band outfit for Fridays, parades, and competitions. 

She isn’t being particularly quiet as Curtis was already up before her to get started on the chores since Nicole would be absent for the day. Gus was out helping him so it really just left Wynonna sleeping upstairs and considering that Waverly had heard her stumble in well after one in the morning, she doubted her banging pans in the kitchen would be what woke her. 

Nicole however was moving around upstairs. They’d shared a brief kiss good morning in passing for the bathroom to get ready but Nicole hadn’t made her way downstairs yet. Which gave Waverly time to finish the bagels and pour them some fresh squeezed juice to start the day right. 

“Oh my god, can you be any louder?” The groan from Wynonna behind Waverly sent her jumping a bit in the air, completely surprised. 

“Wy, what are you doing up?” Waverly spun, hands full with breakfast. 

“Someone is down here acting like they’re part of the percussion line,” Wynonna took the plate from Waverly and plopped down into one of the chairs at the table. Waverly reached for her plate but Wynonna had already managed to take a large bite from the bagel that Waverly had prepared for herself. 

“Seriously?” Waverly huffed in irritation but turned to make herself another bagel, pulling it apart and dropping it into the toaster. 

“Morning ba...hey,” Nicole skidded to a stop in the kitchen doorway when she saw Wynonna at the table and Waverly leaning against the counter with a scowl on her face and arms crossed. Wynonna didn’t seem to catch Nicole’s almost slip of endearment towards Waverly as she was too focused on devouring the bagel in her hands, sending crumbs over the tabletop. 

Nicole, despite the reddening of her cheeks, seemed to be her usual perky morning self. She was also donned in their band shirt and black jeans, though Nicole’s didn’t hug at her hips and thighs like Waverly’s did. Instead of the normal french braid, Nicole had opted to leave her hair down and was wearing one of her favorite ball caps backwards. Waverly itched to run her fingers through the long strands and bury her nose into Nicole’s neck and inhale the ever present scent of vanilla. 

“Morning,” Waverly couldn’t help her smile and moved to set the other plate of prepared food on the table and motioned for Nicole to take the seat. At Nicole’s questioning look Waverly just answered with a pointed look at her sister who was now licking her fingers clean from the remnants of Waverly’s bagel. 

After a brief moment the toaster sprung up her cooked bounty of carbs and she set about remaking it with the cream cheese and seasoning she preferred. With a happy sigh she sat at the empty spot and hummed into her bite of breakfast. 

“Alright, now that I’m waking up, baby girl are you excited for your first competition?” Wynonna stole Nicole’s glass of juice and took a deep gulp from it. Nicole glared and pulled her glass back and then wiped the rim with a napkin. 

“Is that why you’re up so early? Speaking of, where were you so late last night? I don’t think you came in till almost two,” Waverly subtly pulled her glass of juice away from Wynonna’s reach. 

“It was about three when she came in. Ask me how I know?” Nicole gave Wynonna a pointed look over her own bagel. 

“I apologized Haught stuff. I didn’t mean to trip into your cleavage,” Wynonna rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Waverly coughed around the bite of her food, “Now, are you two excited?”

“First competition of the year? Hell yeah. I’m expecting we will pull all one’s,” Nicole finished her food and juice and politely picked up the empty plates on the table to rinse out in the sink. Waverly finished her juice quickly and stood to bring the glass over to the sink so she had an excuse to lean in close to Nicole for the first time of the day. 

“You guys have got this. I caught the show last night, definitely entertaining,” Wynonna kicked her feet up now that no one was sitting at the table.

“Wait, you made the game last night?” Waverly turned back to look at her sister.

“Of course baby girl. I’ve been to all of them.” 

“I haven’t seen you there,” Waverly frowned, trying to remember if Wynonna had been up in the stands with Curtis and Gus.

Wynonna scoffed, “I was under the bleachers for the game but I poke my head out for half time.” 

Ah, that made sense. Wynonna was either getting a buzz or getting high with the more unsavory classmates that Waverly wished she wouldn’t hang out with. With her and Nicole on the field though, there was no one to keep an eye on her sister and that left opportunities to get herself into trouble. 

“So you got in so late last night because you were out getting trashed then?” Waverly folded her arms again. Nicole turned from the sink, brushing gently against Waverly’s side before adjusting to put a little more respectable space between them. It was subtle but enough to settle some of the building feelings in Waverly’s chest. 

“Actually, I got in so late because I was getting laid,” Wynonna rolled her eyes and then abruptly stood from the table, “Speaking of, Haught, I expect you to keep a close eye on my baby sister today. I hear those band boys get cocky at these things.” 

“Wynonna,” Waverly launched from the side of the counter, hands dropping to her sides in shock. 

Nicole laughed, “Wy, I won’t let her out of my sight, promise. I don’t think you have anything to worry about with the boys though.” Waverly caught the wink Nicole subtly shot her way. The heat was quick to rise from her chest to her cheeks. Definitely no need to worry about boys. Waverly was already smitten. 

“Good Haughtshit. Well, you two don’t want to be late so best be getting out of here. I don’t envy the bus ride you’ve got. Also, don’t worry about waking me tonight. I won’t be home,” Wynonna grabbed her jacket once they were in the entryway. 

“Where will you be tonight?” Waverly asked, reaching for her light jacket too. It was the start of September and the nights were starting to cool off for the early winter that would definitely set around Halloween. 

“I’ve got a hot date tonight and a planned walk of shame in the morning,” Wynonna grinned and with a wink to the both of them she was out the door. 

“Wow,” Nicole breathed out and shook her head. 

“She is something else today,” Waverly muttered and then offered Nicole her jacket by holding it open for her. Nicole smiled at the gesture and slid her arms into the sleeves. Waverly felt that familiar pool of warmth in her gut and when Nicole turned back around, adjusting the jacket on her shoulders, Waverly pulled her down for a quick kiss. 

She melted when strong hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, their bodies fitting together. If only they didn’t have to head out the door that minute to catch the bus she would have made a valiant effort to finally get to finish what they’d started in her room a couple of nights ago. She hadn’t realized she’d made a sound until Nicole pulled back with a dazed smile and Waverly realized she’d just moaned rather loudly. She felt the heat creep back up into her cheeks as she ran her tongue along her bottom lip to chase the taste that Nicole left. 

“We’ve got to get going. We’ll need the time to grab our uniforms and get our instruments loaded,” Nicole rested her forehead against Waverly’s as she snuck her hands inside Nicole’s jacket to feel the strong muscles of Nicole’s back. 

“If you say so,” Waverly sighed, not wanting the moment to end but Nicole pulled away a chuckle. 

“We can finish this later,” Nicole promised while grabbing her keys from the hook by the door. 

“Like we finished the other night?” Waverly challenged and couldn’t help the smugness that filled her with courage as Nicole froze mid step out the door. She slyly squeezed by her girlfriend, hands gripping Nicole’s ass to move her aside so Waverly could step outside and head towards the car. She turned back with a grin, “Coming?” 

She was too far away to hear Nicole’s groan of frustration but she was sure she saw the thick swallow at her parting suggestive word. She might be the inexperienced one of the two but this she was definitely getting the hang of. 

***********

Nicole wasn’t kidding; it was chaos at the band room when they arrived. Three buses were lined up and the band trailer was backed in to be as close to the entrance as possible. There was already a line as band kids moved to hand over their uniform, hat cases, and instruments to be loaded up into the large trailer. Parents ushered kids while making marks on their clipboards, keeping track of who had checked in and loaded their belongings, and guiding them to board whichever bus they’d signed up for. 

Nicole had given her a quick peck in the car and some guidance before stating she’d see her on the bus. They’d signed up for the same one hoping they’d be able to ride together to competitions and away games. They’d had one away game so far and they’d barely been on the bus at all. Today it was a three hour ride until they got to the field where the competition was taking place. It was barely seven and they were scheduled to pull out of the school parking lot no later than eight. 

She met up with Robin and Jeremy inside as they were getting into the line for the trailer, their hands precariously loaded with everything. She hugged them good morning the best she could and then made for the instrument room to retrieve her trumpet case and then to get in the shorter line for her uniform and hat case. It wasn’t much longer than a few minutes that she’d given her uniform number to the parent and was being loaded down with her gear to turn and get into line for the trailer. 

Nicole was hustling around with her freshman and sophomores to get them organized and to get their drums loaded onto the trailer. She had three sets of uniforms slung over one shoulder, forearm muscles rippling, and in her other hand she was holding three hat boxes at an awkward angle, her fingers bent weirdly. She was barking orders and with the vein popping in her neck, Waverly knew she was biting back her irritation at her section. 

Waverly figured she’d be on the bus before her girlfriend managed and at this point she figured they’d be seated more towards the middle, possibly even the front as it seemed Nicole and her younger players were going to be closing out the last of the line to load up. She smiled politely at the parents helping them organize their stuff onto the trailer and hung up her uniform and stacked her hat box. She gave her last name to be checked off the check in list and made her way to the second bus. 

Another parent was by the door and marked her off so that she was present as she climbed the stairs to view what seating options were left. Robin and Jeremy were tucked back a few rows from where the available seats were left. It wasn’t a big deal, maybe they’d have better luck on the way back to all group together. Waverly made a mental note that the next competition they’d be one of the first ones loaded and seated. 

Waverly took the window seat and placed her backpack beside her to save the spot for Nicole. It wasn’t the deterrent she hoped for as one of the tuba rookies made an attempt to sit with her. She briefly remembered his name was Alex as he’d been making more efforts to talk with her, Jeremy and Robin lately. Just as she was politely telling him the seat was taken for the third time, he was being tapped on the shoulder.

“Seats taken rookie,” Nicole gave a softer smile than the look she had in her eyes but Alex got the hint and sat in another row with a huff. 

“Someone is starting to get popular,” Nicole teased and then sat beside her, kicking her legs out into the pathway to be a bit more comfortable. 

“It’s all in the smile and wave,” Waverly teased back, tucking her backpack up under her legs and settling into her seat. Their shoulders touched and it would be as much PDA that they’d be able to manage for the day. Waverly longed to be able to hold her hand or cuddle into her side but this was still a secret and considering some of the nasty looks Shae or Perry would send her, she was rather okay with it still being that way. For now. Although, if everyone knew she was dating Nicole, then perhaps some of the freshman guys would stop hitting on her. She didn’t mind the attention most days but a few of them were getting a bit annoying. 

“What’s on your mind?” Nicole leaned in closer, bumping their shoulders more. The buses had pulled out of the parking lot and they were officially on the road to their first competition. She was more focused on thinking of her girlfriend than the nervousness that was bound to build up for the event. 

“Just thinking about you, and us,” Waverly admitted it quietly so the rows around them wouldn’t easily overhear. Most of the kids that weren’t talking loudly across the bus were sitting with headphones in or playing on their Gameboys or phones. 

“Oh?” Nicole slumped a bit in the seat so they were more eye level and kicked her legs out a bit more. It was an act to get as comfortable as she could with her long legs but it also put her leaning into Waverly a bit more. 

“Nothing too serious. So don’t worry,” Waverly poked her side and smiled as she seemed to hit Nicole’s tickle spot on the first try. She loved that she was learning more and more of where and what type of touches elicited different responses. Slowly she was mapping out all the parts of Nicole that only she could. 

Nicole hummed, getting lost into her own thoughts for a bit as they rode on in silence for a while. “So, homecoming is in two weeks,” Nicole let her sentence trail off and turned to watch Waverly’s expression.

Homecoming. She was beyond excited for that week. Her birthday was the Saturday before and then Homecoming activities started on Monday and built all week until Friday when they had the Homecoming parade and then the game. That following Saturday was the Homecoming dance. So many activities to prepare for as Chrissy was already planning out quite a few of them for their social circle. Her mood turned a bit sour at the sudden thought that Chrissy was arranging a date for her when all Waverly wanted was to go with Nicole. Despite the instance that it was okay to go to a school dance without an official date, her effort to still keep her and Nicole a secret, Chrissy just wasn’t having it. Something about the higher social order and that it was important in Chrissy’s campaign to get her on the spring Cheerleading squad. Which apparently admittance to wasn’t all about skill with cheers and tumbling but about campaigning and social status. 

She realized she had someone beside her that she could vent to so she did, “Chrissy is making a bunch of plans and trying to line me up a date. Something worthy of future cheerleader status. I told her not to bother though but I doubt she’ll actually listen to me.”

Nicole let her continue to vent for a minute, chewing on her lip in thought, “Are you wanting to tell Chrissy about us? We could be official dates to the dance.” 

Waverly sat quite for a moment. The offer was now there that Nicole was willing to go public with them and the desire was strong to accept. However, Wynonna had already stated she was going with Rosita and the York brothers as some group effort and that Waverly and Nicole could be included in that and whoever else Waverly wanted to go with. It would be wonderful to strut around with Nicole proudly on her arms, valiantly telling everyone who kept flirting with Waverly that she was properly taken and to back off. Then her thoughts went to Wynonna who would make their lives miserable around the homestead, never giving them a moment alone which was already hard to come by, and would probably actually punch Nicole for even thinking of Waverly as someone other than Wynonna’s baby sister. It was a bit frightening and sobering to the daydream she was currently having of the dance. There was a reason they were keeping this to themselves. 

“What about Wynonna?” Waverly brought attention to the elephant of the proposal. 

“I can handle your sister,” Nicole shrugged but Waverly could read Nicole’s expression. It bothered her what Wynonna would think. That her relationship with Waverly could ruin the relationship with her best friend. It wouldn’t hurt to try and protect that for a little bit longer. 

“How about we go as a group like Wynonna suggested?” Waverly offered and tried not to feel weird about the apparent relief in Nicole’s expression that Waverly was willing to keep them secret for a little while longer. 

“What about Chrissy?” 

“I can handle my best friend. Whoever she tries to set me up with, I’ll just tell them I’m only going with a group of people and that's it,” Waverly nodded her head once and Nicole knew that was her way of stating her mind was made up and not to worry about it. 

**********

Once the bus pulled into the crowded parking lot of the high school where the competition was being hosted, the bus erupted into buzzing energy. Everyone was trying to talk over each other and the younger band members were eagerly looking out the windows near them to take in what they could; which was mostly just other buses. 

They weren’t allowed to unload the bus until Lucado gave them instructions. Nicole stayed seated with her feet now tucked in awkwardly so not to trip or be stomped on as the rows around them bustled in place. 

“BAND TEN HUT!” Lucado was standing at the head of the bus with folded arms. She waited till the echo of ‘Devils’ died and took in everyone at attention, just waiting for someone to move out of place. 

“Alright, you all will have two hours to grab some lunch and watch a few of the bands perform before you will need to be back here to change and warm up. We are all going to be on our best behaviors and using our manners. If I get word that anyone is rude or disrespectful to anyone, student or parent, you will be kicked from the program. Upperclassman, I expect you to keep our younger players in line and show them how we act. Once I’m off the bus you can head out to the field.” Lucado took the time during her speech to stare everyone down. 

“At ease!” Lucado spoke a moment with the bus driver and then she was stepping off to head to the next bus. 

“Ready?” Nicole stood and offered Waverly her hand to help her to her feet. 

“I can’t wait!” 

It was amazing and more than Waverly had imagined, though she hadn't a clue how competitions were. Nicole had been painstakingly keeping her in the dark for her first experience. Robin and Jeremy had found them soon as they got off the bus and Nicole led them through the parking lot and to the concession stand. 

“We’re one of the later performers so we won’t have time to get food after. Once we’re off the field, everyone will change out of uniform and then file into the stands for the award ceremony. Then we’re on the bus to head back. So food now or starve till we get home,” Nicole advised and then they were standing in an incredibly long line for the concession stand. Waverly noticed the line was quickly filling with a lot of the upperclassman with blue shirts with devil faces. She hoped other seniors were kind like Nicole and advised the other rookies to get food first. 

They were in the line long enough to hear two bands perform before they finally got to order some food. It was mostly options of hotdogs, walking tacos, chips, and candy. Everyone ordered and before they could pull out their own money Nicole was paying for them all. Robin protested along with Jeremy but Nicole just waved them off and slyly winked at Waverly. 

“We can eat in the stands but the second a band starts to march on we don’t speak again until they march off,” Nicole led them towards the stands and scoped out a decent spot for them all to sit. Nicole had them climb nearly to the top but when they sat down and got situated Waverly realized they’d be able to see the formations so much better. 

They had enough time to watch three bands perform before they needed to head back to the bus to get changed. On the way back to the buses their group was stopped by some kids from other bands that recognized Nicole and wanted to say hi. Nicole didn’t talk too long with them so they wouldn’t be late but Waverly was amazed that people from other bands were asking about Nicole’s percussion line. Waverly picked up that they were also percussionists as Nicole introduced them to the trio. 

They finally made it back to the bus to find that their uniforms were hanging on the side of the trailer, the hat boxes lined up with the numbers facing outward and the instruments were also grouped together. Other band kids were digging for their supplies. 

“Grab your uniform and hats first and change on the bus. Leave the hat box and your garment bag in your seat for when we get back. We won’t have much time to change before we have to be in the stands.” Nicole led the way as they followed her instructions. 

A discovered perk of sitting with Nicole is that they got to change beside each other. Though it was not romantic at all with a bus stuffed full of everyone else trying to change too. Under her jeans she was already wearing compression shorts so she wasn’t stripping down to her underwear and she’d worn a tank top underneath her band shirt. She noticed that most everyone was wearing their band shirts under their uniforms except Nicole, herself, and Robin. 

She caught an eyeful of Nicole’s thighs before they disappeared into uniform pants. She wasn’t sly in her staring either if Nicole’s wink was anything to go by. Though she did notice Nicole’s gaze hover when she stripped out of her jeans to pull on her own uniform pants. She enjoyed the heat that traveled through her core as she took her time giving Nicole a prolonged opportunity to stare. Once zipped up she returned Nicole’s wink with one of her own. 

She breathed so much easier once they got off the bus to grab their instruments. Nicole gave her hand a squeeze before they parted, not likely they’d be next to each other until they were back at the bus. She got in line to get her instrument, leaving the case where she’d found it like everyone else. Then she was in her section starting to warm up until everyone was gathered to start the drills they’d all memorized at camp. 

Lucado gave another speech after they’d warmed up and then the band was lining up to prepare to march into the stadium. It was then that her hands started to shake with nerves. She’d heard that football games were the fun part of band but competition weekends were the business. The Purgatory Devils were known for their reputation of getting one’s for their scores and the coveted “Most Entertaining” Award along with “Best in Show”. This is what all the after school practices were for and the hard days of work during band camp. It was the first competition of the season and this was going to set up what the rest of marching band season would look like. Waverly did not look forward to countless laps if they all did terrible in the next half hour. 

The cadence started and Waverly focused on the singular image of Nicole with squared shoulders, serious face, and flexing arms as she tapped away at her snare as she led the band down to the field. Her nerves calmed just a fraction as her spot in line started to move and she focused on keeping her body straight, feet in step with the person in front, and her face emotionless as they began to march forward. 

She tried to take in as much detail as she could of their surroundings. Parents lined the area and other band kids watched as they marched past. They winded down the sidewalk until they stopped just short of stepping onto the field. Waverly was able to see that the front section of the stands that they’d been sitting in earlier were now packed full and the back stands were now filling in. Colors seemed to be grouped together and Waverly gathered that each area was an entire band seated to watch them perform. Their band was next to last so most everyone was gathered to watch them perform. That realization had her nerves back and her hands started to shake again. Robin wasn’t much better beside her. 

A voice boomed out over the speakers, “And now, we are pleased to announce the Purgatory Devils taking the field!” 

The cadence started again and just like Friday nights they marched onto the field to take their starting positions. 

“Purgatory Devils are led by Band Director Ms. Lucado. Senior Drum Major Shae Pressman, is your band ready?” 

Shae’s clap echoed through the stadium as well as her booming “BAND TEN HUT!” 

“Devils!” 

The crowd in the stands fell quite immediately and after a brief moment that was Shae doing her salute before taking to the podium, the crowd clapped for a moment and then silence again. Waverly watched from the corner of her eye and watched Shae’s signal to the percussion line and Nicole started with three quick taps to the edge of her snare. With that the band begun, marching onto the field for their first graded performance. 

Each step was precise, each song her best, and every flank sharp. Once the show began she forgot about her nerves and the countless eyes watching them with a performers understanding. It was amazing and the claps that filled the air after certain solos, duets, and their most entertaining bit was electricity through her veins. 

In a blink they had cut off the final note, flanked, and were marching off the field to a roar of applause. It was so hard to keep her face neutral as they marched past people in the areas around the field up to the parking lot. Soon as they hit their spot by the buses and didn’t have to remain at attention, Waverly was beaming and Robin was pulling her into an excited bouncing hug that Jeremy soon found them to join as well. 

“Holy crap! We’ve just done our first competition!” Robin pulled Jeremy tight to his side with a huge smile. 

“Did you hear everyone screaming for us? I feel like a rock star!” Jeremy laughed. 

“It was amaze-balls!” Waverly added. 

Nicole was quick to her side after pushing her way through the crowd around them and pulled Waverly into a tight hug, “So how do you feel?” 

Waverly smiled and wanted nothing more than to kiss her girlfriend to express how overwhelmed with positive emotion she was, “I can’t even explain how I feel but it’s good. So very good.” 

Nicole’s smile could have powered the stadium lights with how it beamed, “This is what I’ve been waiting for since you wanted to do marching band. There is nothing like competitions.” 

“Alright everyone, if you aren’t going on the field for the award ceremony you need to change now. Get your instruments put away and bring your uniform and hat buckets back here before going to the field,” One of the band parents instructed, moving along the kids to ensure everyone heard what to do next. It wasn’t long before the ceremony would start.

Perry shouldered his way to where Nicole was standing with Waverly, Jeremy, and Robin. Nicole squared her shoulders and released Waverly from the hug they’d been wrapped up in. 

“Haught! I’m not changing out of uniform and I hope you understand why,” Perry glared, arms folded over his chest. 

“Because no one wants to see those hair legs?” Nicole feigned ignorance at what Perry was hinting at. 

“Haught, I’m going onto the field to accept our trophy,” Perry growled. 

“Calm down Crofte. Of course you are, you’re then senior aren’t you?” Nicole countered.

“Wait, you don’t have a problem with that?” Perry looked confused before he squared his shoulders again. 

“Why would I? I can do it next year when I’m a senior,” Nicole shrugged and then pulled Waverly with her to board the bus so they could change. 

“I think you surprised him,” Waverly looked back to see Perry look dumbfounded for a moment before smiling and then joining the other seniors who weren’t boarding the buses to change.

“I’ve always thought it was dumb that section leaders could opt to go themselves instead of seniors. I think it should be exclusive to seniors unless the section doesn’t have one, then section leaders could go. Kind of a last year privilege thing I think,” Nicole shrugged and then let Waverly into the seat first so they could change. 

She tried not to focus on how the bus now smelt worse with heavy sweat and attempts to cover it with body spray. It was very thick in the air and Nicole started pulling windows down to help air it out before they got back. Nicole shielded her while she quickly stripped her soaked tank top to pull on her clean and dry band shirt. She was grateful for all the experienced advice that Nicole had shared so she wouldn’t now be sitting in the stands in a soaked shirt and bound to get cold. She also wasn’t going to smell as bad the entire ride home either. 

Nicole grabbed her group of rookies and led them back to the stands where their band was filing in with small groups. Eventually, everyone was gathered minus the seniors taking the field. They had missed the last band performance but that just meant it wasn’t long before administration was calling for the start of the award ceremony. The sun had set and the stadium was flooded with the lighting. Groups of seniors still in uniform lined up in the center of the field. 

After a few moments, once every band was accounted for, the ceremony began. A brief overall congratulations was issued to all the bands for their performance for the night and then they started with the first band and worked their way through everyone’s scores. 

When it came their time Lucado instructed they stand and then called the band to attention. Nicole was close, their hands almost touching as they stood at attention at each other's side. 

“Purgatory Devils, your scores are as follows; Color guard, one. Percussion, one. Drum Major, one. Band; one, one, one.” 

The band cheered, jumped, clapped, and Waverly found herself wrapped up in Nicole's arms. Lucado was even smiling and clapping as their seniors on the field stepped forward to collect their trophies. 

After the last band was scored it came down to the final two awards to be given; Most Entertaining and Best in Show. 

Everyone stood at attention and eagerly awaited the announcements. 

“Most Entertaining goes to...Purgatory Devils!” 

Everyone erupted into cheers again as Shae stepped forward to collect the trophy on the field. 

“And now our Best in Show winners….Edmonton High!” 

It was a little disappointing after winning Most Entertaining but Nicole still had an arm wrapped around her shoulders, “Don’t tell anyone but its a well kept secret that Lucado cares more about Most Entertaining than Best in Show.” 

Waverly motioned that she’d keep her lips sealed and leaned more into Nicole’s side. What a hell of a first competition and they’d done an amazing job. She’d be on this high well into Homecoming week and with how Nicole was smiling and holding her, she figured her girlfriend felt the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone remember what Homecoming themes they had? I keep drawing a blank but maybe that's because it was traumatic for me? 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	12. Sweet Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's someone's birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took longer than I liked writing this chapter. There's a bit I'm not sure about but I think it'll still be enjoyed. Please forgive any errors. I did a quick readthrough for edits but wanted to get this posted for all of you.

Her muscles were screaming and her t-shirt clung to her in irritating ways. Wynonna was beside her swinging her sledgehammer just as violently as Nicole was. They had made some great progress on getting the first cabin torn down. Curtis had hired some help and they were off somewhere else on the land doing chores with Curtis, learning the ropes so Nicole wouldn't have to teach them. 

“Feeling any better?” Nicole decided to take a break and survey their work. It was just about to the point of transferring the wood to the secondary barn by the house for it to be chopped up and used over the winter. There wasn’t a lot from the rotted out cabins that could be reused for the new buildings. 

“Eh, I can see why you find enjoyment with all this hard labor shit,” Wynonna dropped her sledgehammer and then after a deep breath kicked at the final bit that she was trying to get to topple over. After a few growls and attempts the wood gave way and dropped to the ground kicking up dirt and dust. Wynonna gave a fist pump and then stuck up her middle finger at the downed lumber. 

“It’s therapeutic without the whiskey,” Nicole shrugged and then pulled at her shirt in an attempt to get some air on her overheated skin. 

Wynonna dropped down to sit next to the cooler they’d brought and dug out a bottle of water for them both then tossed one to Nicole who fumbled on catching it. Wynonna chuckled, “You gotta be better with those Haught hands if you plan on catching a new lady love.” 

Nicole ignored the jab with a roll of her eyes and then dropped down to sit next to Wynonna, cracking open the bottle of water to take a hearty gulp. She kicked her legs out and pulled her hair away from the back of her neck contemplating cutting it off for the untempt time. She took another look at her best friend taking note of the dark circles under her eyes, the lack of luster to her hair, and the ever present downward tilt to her shoulders. Wynonna had been struggling for a long time now and it was defiantly catching up to her appearance. It wouldn't be longer that Wynonna could ignore it, especially if more people than Nicole and her family started to ask questions. 

“You sure you’re okay Earp?” 

Wynonna picked at the label on the bottle and chewed at the corner of her lip. Nicole didn’t press, just continued to sip from her own water. 

“I hate myself,” Wynonna broke the silence with a barely there whisper. 

Nicole didn’t turn to look at Wynonna, afraid that it might spook her from elaborating. 

“They’re dead and beside the brief moments of gut wrenching grief at them being gone, the rest of the time I just feel,” Wynonna waved her hand between them and took a deep shaky breath, “relieved.” 

Nicole could understood the feeling. Ward and Willa were their family, true, but they were terrible to Wynonna at times but mostly they took their aggression out on Waverly. Nicole had often clashed with Willa in an attempt to divert attention from the Earp sisters but she’d only had one negative run in with Ward that she never shared with Wynonna or Waverly. She’d lied to them about the shiner she’d had and never planned on sharing the truth. After than Ward had been a bit more cautious with his fists, at least in Nicole's case. 

“I think it’s acceptable to feel that way,” Nicole finished her water and replaced the cap to pack it back away into the cooler to be recycled when they got back to the house. 

“I think it makes me an asshole. Who feels relieved that their father and sister are dead?” Wynonna tossed her head back and Nicole pointedly ignored the trail of a lone tear down Wynonna’s cheek. 

She kicked her foot out to tap against Wynonna’s, “Not an asshole, Wy.” 

Wynonna rubbed at her face and then tossed her water at Nicole before standing and grabbing her sledgehammer, “Let’s get back to work.” 

“Next up is loading up the wood and driving it over to the barn to unload,” Nicole stood and kicked the cooler shut and picked up her sledgehammer to toss into the UTV. 

“Didn’t peg you for wanting to handle wood,” Wynonna joked as she tossed her sledgehammer next to Nicole’s. 

“Yeah, I prefer to leave that to you Wynonna,” Nicole pulled up the trailer to attach to the UTV. She’d barely gotten it secured before the trailer dipped under new weight. “Can you not? I could have lost a finger!” 

“That would be a real tragedy for you lady lover,” Wynonna picked up some more boards and tossed them onto the trailer. Nicole grabbed a pair of gloves and offered them to Wynonna. She pulled her own from her back pocket and pulled them on. 

For the next while they worked together to pile up the trailer but they worked in silence. Wynonna never circled back around to her confession and Nicole figured it wouldn’t happen for a while. They called it quits when they heard the bell for dinner. 

Before she started the UTV Wynonna grabbed her arm, “Hey, uh, thanks for this. You were right. Tearing shit up is just what I needed.” 

Nicole nodded, figuring it best to not to push Wynonna anymore for the day. She started the UTV and turned them towards the house. 

**********

Nicole rolled over on the cot and groaned. Some point she was going to have to stay in her own bedroom just so her back could get relief from sleeping on a cot so much. She almost wasn’t surprised to see that Wynonna’s bed hadn’t been touched for the night. 

She sat up, readjusted her tank top, and stretched to pop her back. She listened for any sounds within the house and picked up the soft music playing in Waverly’s room. Beyond that the house sounded empty. Curtis had given her the day off considering the birthday dinner they planned for Waverly that evening and mentioned wanting Nicole to enjoy her day too. 

She knew exactly how she wanted to enjoy it. She made her cot and then slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. It wasn’t till she turned off the sink that the door to Waverly’s room opened. 

“Good morning you,” Waverly smiled from the doorway and like everyday Waverly smiled at her Nicole felt her insides melt and her heart flip inside her chest.

“Why good morning birthday girl,” Nicole returned the smile and opened her arms as Waverly bounced forward into her embrace. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she breathed in Waverly’s scent. 

“You remembered,” Waverly pulled back just enough to smile up at her. She felt her heart crack at her girlfriend's statement. 

“Of course I did baby,” Nicole leaned down and kissed her softly. 

She had intended to keep it PG but Waverly had other ideas with wandering hands. Not that Nicole would complain. Any moment with Waverly was divine. Nimble fingers slipped underneath her tank top to ghost along her skin. Waverly’s touch became firm, more confident as she managed to get Nicole to gasp against her lips. 

She turned them, Waverly’s back to the counter and then with a smirk she lifted under firm thighs until Waverly’s legs bracketed her as she settled onto the counter. Nicole paused, running her tongue over her swollen bottom lip, as Waverly wrapped her legs tight around her hips and slipped her hands around Nicole’s neck to pull them flush together. 

“Baby,” She barely breathed it into Waverly’s waiting lips. She parted her lips, feeling Waverly’s tongue flutter against her lower lip. This had quickly slipped past PG into erotic, her blood burning in her veins to get a harder taste of the girl wrapped around her. 

“You are too good, you know?” Waverly paused against her lips just enough to draw Nicole’s focus as Waverly wrapped her hands against Nicole’s wrists and guided her touch to the hem of her sleep shirt. 

“I just want us to go at your pace, whatever you’re comfortable with,” Nicole admitted. It hadn’t really been spoken about between them but Waverly was super smart and had picked up on Nicole’s habit of not taking the lead, even when she really wanted to. 

“I like you Nicole, really really head over heels like you,” Waverly nudged her shirt up enough that Nicole was now touching fluttering abs again. She closed her eyes for a moment if just to catch her breath. 

“I really like you too,” She rested their foreheads together, fingers teasing along a path against Waverly’s flesh. 

“Good, then show me how much,” Waverly captured her lips again, this time harder pressed till she struggled to get a full breath. Nicole's fingers continued their path, tracing over ribs and then running them behind to the dip of Waverly’s spine. Hands wrapped up in her hair and pulled and there was no stopping the moan that tore from her throat. 

Waverly’s body jolted against hers, hips rubbing against her, legs pulling tighter. She was getting lost in the sensation of Waverly rolling her body against hers. Their lips parted, both gasping as Nicole trailed her lips against her jaw then down to Waverly’s throat. Her hands ghosting along the swell of a breast, plotting how she wanted to tip her motions from careful exploration to a full handful. 

“Shit,” Waverly’s grip tightened in her hair, pulling her closer to her pulse point to continue her path with her lips and tongue. She was mindful to not leave a mark but damn if Waverly wasn’t encouraging her. She licked at the flesh just a little bit harder before rolling it between her lips. 

“SHIT!” Hands shoved at her shoulders then, legs dropping from her waist and she stumbled back in surprise. Waverly shoved again and then Nicole was tripping into the shower.

“BABY GIRL!” Wynonna was banging at the bathroom door, “You okay in there?” 

Waverly spun around in panic and Nicole flattened herself against the shower wall. 

“I’m fine, Wynonna. Um, just getting into the shower!” Waverly called.

“Really? I don’t hear the water running.” Wynonna spoke through the door and before Nicole could brace herself freezing cold water was hitting her in the face. Waverly slapped her hand against Nicole’s mouth to smother the shriek of surprise. “Oh, now I hear it! Well, cover up baby girl, I’m coming in!” 

Waverly panicked further, jumping into the shower and slamming the curtain closed to hide them both just as Wynonna opened the bathroom door, “Wynonna! Can I please have some privacy?”

“Baby girl, you turn the big one six today. Sixteen and gorgeous! I just want to wish you Happy Birthday before anyone else gets the chance.” Wynonna pulled at the curtain and Nicole wondered why her life wasn’t flashing before her eyes because surly Wynonna was going to murder her the second she saw her inside the shower, despite being fully clothed. 

Waverly gripped the curtain, twisted it up to her neck and poked her head out, “Can you not?” 

“That hurts Wave,” Wynonna scoffed from the other side of the curtain. 

Nicole held her breath and twisted the water knob so the water would at least turn warmer so she’d stop shivering from being soaked with freezing cold water. A small comfort before she was murdered. 

“I don’t mean to be rude but you know in the shower and all,” Waverly attempted again. 

“Sure, sure. Happy Birthday baby girl. I love you and all that shit,” Wynonna placed a kiss on Waverly’s forehead and then she was out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Waverly sagged against the shower wall and closed the curtain again. 

“Uh, so that was a close call,” Nicole whispered, a bit upset that this time she hadn’t heard Wynonna stomping up the stairs. At least they hadn’t been busted with Nicole’s hands up Waverly’s shirt and Waverly grinding against her. 

Waverly turned to look at her and the fire in Nicole’s gut burned again as Waverly’s eyes darkened and she bit at her lower lip. Nicole wiped some of the hair from her face and Waverly moved to pull off her soaked sleep shirt. Waverly tossed it out of the shower and Nicole gripped tighter at the tile underneath her fingers. What kind of birthday miracle wish granting reality had Nicole woken up in? Waverly Earp, goddess girlfriend, was topless in the shower with her. She groaned, fighting to keep her gaze respectful but it was so damn hard. She practically heard Wynonna in her head with the ‘that's what she said’ comeback to her own thought. 

“Baby,” The whisper practically echoed between them as Waverly moved forward under the stream and she wiped her own drenched hair back. 

“Can I say that this is quite the birthday gift?” Waverly reached forward, running her hands over Nicole’s abs highlighted by her soaked tank top. 

“I feel like I’m the one being gifted,” She chuckled, hands trembling at her side. 

“We could make it even,” Waverly teased her fingers at the hem of Nicole’s tank top. 

The bathroom door banged open again, “Baby girl, have you seen Haught shot?” Wynonna’s voice rang out in the room again and they both jumped. Nicole flattened herself against the shower wall again. 

“I have not!” Waverly tried to keep her voice level but the squeak wasn’t stopped. Nicole wasn’t one to pray but she sort of started to in that moment with an internal chant of ‘please don’t open the curtain, please don’t open the curtain.’ 

“Well shit, any idea where she might be? I figured she crashed here last night,” Wynonna could be heard on the other side of the curtain, “Why is your shirt all wet?” 

Waverly darted again to tuck her head around the curtain, “Um, Nicole is probably out doing some chores or something. Can I please take my shower in peace?” 

“Uh, sure. I’ll head out to the cabins and see if she’s working out there but if you see her before me can you tell her I’m looking for her?” 

“You have a cell phone Wynonna, can’t you use that?” Waverly huffed.

“Hey, I thought of that. Haughty left her phone in my room which is weird. She typically doesn’t leave that around where I can easily prank her,” Wynonna shuffled to the door again, the plop of something wet against the counter. 

“Ok, well I’ll tell her you’re looking for her. Now please go!” Waverly waved her hand outside the shower and when the door closed Waverly stepped back and closed the curtain again. 

“I think our time this morning is up, unless we want to risk Wynonna actually catching me in here,” Nicole sighed and absolutely hated the defeated look Waverly sported. 

“Yeah, I doubt we could do what I really want within Wy’s thirty second attention span,” Waverly chuckled. 

Nicole stepped out of the shower but before grabbing for a towel she turned and reached for Waverly and pulled her into a parting searing kiss. When she pulled back Waverly stared at her in a daze and then she pulled her soaked tank top off and smirked as Waverly looked at her chest and then up at her face before dropping back to her chest. 

“Happy Birthday, baby,” With a chuckle she grabbed a towel and disappeared into Wynonna’s bedroom to change. That was a pretty bold thing to do but the smile on Waverly’s face told her that perhaps it wasn’t to wrong. She stripped out of her pajama pants and changed into some dry clothes for the day. 

**********

She avoided the cabins figuring Wynonna was in that direction looking for her so she had jumped on the ATV, since the UTV was still loaded down with the trailer, and made a run out to the main barn where Waverly’s birthday present was hidden. It was a good bet that it would be awhile, or more likely not, that Wynonna would look for her there. 

Curtis and the new hire weren’t around either so Nicole figured she could take advantage of finishing up Waverly’s birthday present by giving the Jeep a wash so it was really for its unveiling. It however didn’t take her as long as she thought it would and now she was leaning against the workbench almost wishing Curtis hadn’t given her the day off from chores. She had gotten used to being always busy outside of school. 

She knew Waverly was aware that she had the day off for her birthday so Nicole decided to head back to the house just in case Waverly came looking for her. She didn’t want this surprise to be spoiled so she jumped back on the ATV and did a quick scan of Wynonna who still hadn’t come to find her. 

As she approached the house she noticed that another car was in the driveway. She parked the ATV in its spot and hopped off. 

“Yo! Haught! Get your ass up here!” Wynonna poked her head out of the loft window just as Nicole started towards the house. 

“Fuck!” She jumped and turned on her heel to see Wynonna flagging her down, “Warn a girl will ya!” 

“Warning ya Haught stuff, you do not want to go in there. It’s a squeal fest currently,” Wynonna gestured towards the house, “And you might want to hide soon or else.”

“There you are Nicole! I was hoping I’d find you,” Curtis popped out from the house and trotted down from the front porch. “Don’t think that I didn’t see you in the loft Wynonna!” 

“Hey old man,” Nicole turned from the barn as Curtis wrapped his arm around her shoulder. 

“Let’s hide from the overly excited teenage girls for a bit and get the backyard set up for some grilling and games,” Curtis was offering her an out from whatever had scared Wynonna out of the house. She figured Waverly was busy with whatever the terror was, or involved at least, and nodded as Curtis dragged her to the separate shed. 

She spent the next better part of the afternoon setting up some yard games while Curtis got the grill started. Once the games were set up in various areas she moved to building the bonfire they’d light closer to sunset. She was covered in grim and needed an actual shower which had her mind wandering back to her morning. 

“What are you daydreaming about?” 

Nicole startled again at the new voice to join her outside. Chrissy Nedley was leaning against the back porch as Waverly was coming outside. 

“Hey Chrissy,” She wiped her hands on her jeans and smiled at the Sheriff's daughter and Waverly’s longest friend. 

Waverly caught her eye behind Chrissy and they shared a soft smile at one another. Nicole swallowed thickly as her mind traveled back to that morning. Waverly must have similar thoughts because Nicole clocked the increasing redness in Waverly’s cheeks. 

“You wouldn’t happen to know who Waverly is sneaking around with? I’ve been grilling her all day and she won’t budge on the details.” Chrissy’s question had Nicole trip while standing still.

“Uh.”

“She’s sporting a nice little hickey here so she knows she’s busted but for once in our lifelong friendship she is refusing to tell me. Honestly, I’m hurt,” Chrissy had moved to pull down on Waverly’s collar and Nicole briefly got to see the faint bruise she hadn’t meant to leave near Waverly’s collarbone. 

“I wouldn’t know, uh,” Nicole gave an apologetic look, as much as one she could manage in the brief second that Chrissy had her back in Nicole’s direction. 

“Well, I’ll find out one way or another. You’re a good secret keeper if even Nicole doesn’t know,” Chrissy faked whispered in Waverly’s direction. Then the two were off the back porch and heading over to the cornhole boards Nicole had set up. 

She went inside and changed into some fresher clothes noting that she’d have to do some laundry soon. When she’d made her way back outside they had a few more guests. Robin, Jeremy, and a few others from band had arrived as well as some freshmen from Waverly’s classes. Chrissy seemed overly excited by a few of the guys she was hanging around with and Nicole quickly recognized the football shirts they were wearing. 

Wynonna had finally come down from the loft now that it was officially a party and Nicole naturally drifted to her best friend's side. Waverly was bouncing around between the social groups and seemed to be having the best time. Nicole was more than happy to smile from the side and watch her girlfriend enjoy playing games with all her friends. Seemed Waverly was definitely hitting a popularity level that Chrissy would be proud of. 

Curtis was acting as grill master and had cooked up an impressive spread of hamburgers, hotdogs, kabobs, and a line of grilled veggies. Gus had pulled up a rocking chair and settled in with a tall glass of lemonade and was enjoying overseeing the festivities. When the sun finally started to descend Nicole assisted Curtis in getting the fire pit lit and then Curtis was disappearing down the path towards the main barn. 

It didn’t take Curtis too long before he was coming back in the Jeep and parking it near the house. He had successfully gathered everyone's attention in his slow pace to get it parked. 

“Waverly, angel, happy birthday from Nicole and I,” Curtis presented Waverly with the keys who just stared at him in shock. 

“Wait, Nicole too?” Waverly turned to look at her with wide eyes. 

“Yeah, when I picked this up it was just a shell. Nicole has been helping me fix it up. Pretty much rebuilt it from scratch so it should run amazing for a while,” Curtis supplied as Waverly took the keys. 

This time when Waverly looked back at Nicole, she couldn’t quite place the look she was at the mercy of. Waverly turned towards the Jeep and Curtis gave her the tour. 

“Haught shit, been busy huh?” Wynonna shook her head and took a long pull from her drink. 

Nicole could only shrug, “Curtis asked for some help.”

“You are too good to this family, Haught,” Wynonna bumped their shoulders together, “Too good for this family.” 

Once the excitement of Waverly’s gift reveal died down and everyone had turned to enjoy the bonfire and more drinks and food Waverly made her way to Nicole, “Think you could sneak into my room later? I’d like to thank you properly.” Waverly’s fingers fluttered around the back of Nicole’s hand and after a quick survey to see if they were being watched Nicole briefly interlaced their fingers together. 

“I can try. I’m pretty sure Wy has been spiking her drinks so she should crash pretty hard in a bit,” Nicole turned to whisper and Waverly tucked up into her side for a quick hug. 

“You are amazing and I’m assuming repairs is why your knuckles have been so busted up lately?” 

“Worth it,” Nicole breathed in, placing a quick kiss to Waverly’s hairline and then pulled back. 

They separated, and with a parting look of fire and promise, Waverly went to join her friends by the fire. Her gaze followed her girlfriend, warmth sitting firm in her chest. She watched as Chrissy pulled Waverly aside in excitement and then noted the shocked gaze towards her before the two started talking in hushed whispers and animated gestures. 

She steeled herself as Chrissy dragged Waverly up to where Nicole was leaning against the back porch rail. She gripped her cup a little tighter at the shit eating grin on Chrissy’s face. She was definitely not surprised when Chrissy lightly punched her shoulder once in reach. 

“You’re the one sleeping with my best friend!” Chrissy’s voice was a whisper but it rang loudly in the small space between the three of them. Well, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I say this every update but thanks to everyone who kudo's and drops comments my way. It really keeps me motivated to dusting off these old writer cobwebs. 
> 
> I'm starting to get active on twitter again (I hate it) but feel free to give me a follow or tweet me if you like.   
> @travelingspears


	13. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Homecoming Week!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting past 2 AM...please forgive any mistakes....

It was Homecoming week! Finally in high school and able to participate in the activities that she’d jealously watched Nicole attempt to partake in the previous year with Wynonna. As soon as the daily themes had been announced on brightly decorated posters all across the school Waverly had brainstormed in the margins of her notebooks during class. Next to scribbled hearts around her and Nicole’s initials or drawing out her name as ‘Waverly Haught’, and ‘Waverly Earp-Haught’, or even ‘ Waverly Haught-Earp’, she had also prioritized exactly which themes she definitely wanted to do with her girlfriend. 

She was supposed to have a compelling argument that couldn’t be refused and had spent a few nights practicing a speech of the merits of doing such activities with her even if it might be suspicious but all that practice had been a moot point. All she had needed to do was bring it up mid make out and Nicole was nodding along with endearing commentary of “Whatever will make you happy baby” and “Of course I’ll wear it if you really want me to.” 

It was Sunday evening and Nicole had gone back home at her parents' request to sleep in her actual bedroom and maybe dust while she was at it. Without Nicole around Wynonna had disappeared somewhere in town with a parting statement to not wait up for her. Waverly didn’t mind a bit though since it gave her time with her best friend without any danger of Wynonna overhearing their squealing in her bedroom. 

It was a birthday tradition, that should a birthday fall upon a weekend night, the two would spend the entire weekend together. With an empty house, revealed secret, and a week of Homecoming activities and dance to prepare for, it was a very much welcomed tradition. 

“I can not believe that Nicole is your girlfriend!” It had been a repeated statement since Chrissy had confronted the two and even though Waverly thought she did well in schooling her expression to be neutral, Nicole had not. The deer-in-headlights look and sputtering that Nicole had in response to Chrissy was adorable but also all the confirmation that her best friend had needed, “It just all makes sense why you keep turning down the jocks that have been flocking your locker.” 

“Champ is just persistent but at least B-train and Skip have moved on to bother other people,” Waverly rolled her eyes and continued to move various hangers of clothes in her closet hoping for inspiration to strike for Monday’s outfit. 

“Champ is hot, dumb as bricks, but his muscles make up for it,” Chrissy shrugged, thumbing through something on her phone. 

“There are options out there with brains and a great body,” Waverly looked over her shoulder, “They aren’t mutually exclusive.” 

“Oh please, you are dating pretty much the only person at Purg High that is smart and hot,” Chrissy rolled her eyes at Waverly. 

“So my girlfriend is hot huh?” Waverly smirked. Chrissy hadn’t really shared the expanse of what she found attractive, and Waverly would never judge, but it was fun to at least be a little teasing. 

“H-A-U-G-H-T, hot!” Chrissy laughed at her own joke, “Seriously though, I need all the deets on this. I mean, I get the secrecy, small town and a-holes aplenty, but Nicole is a catch and you’ve crushed on her forever.” 

“It’s not all that romantic said out loud but I just kissed her while she was shoveling the stalls out in the barn and that was kind of it,” Waverly shrugged and pulled out a selection of clothes from the back of her closet and dropped them on the bed. 

“You made the first move!?” Chrissy dropped her phone to the bed and shuffled to tuck her legs underneath her, “I had my money on Haught.” 

“Really?” Waverly stopped pulling at the denim shirt she was taking off the hook. 

“Oh, most definitely, that girl has had heart eyes for you since Wynonna dragged her around the homestead for the first time. I was here when you two met, remember?” Chrissy laughed and started to look over the options Waverly had laid out. 

“Wait, even then?” 

“Yeah, Nicole has been in love with you from the get go,” Chrissy moved aside one of the shirts to make a ‘no’ pile with a shake of her head. 

“I wouldn’t say love,” She stopped fiddling with the shirt and turned a bit so Chrissy wouldn’t see the mild panic on her face. 

Was it love? Is that what this was in her chest and gut every time Nicole walked into a room or smiled at Waverly or winked or shared her water with or just pretty much existed in general? Had Nicole really looked at Waverly that way from the first time they met? Actually, yeah, Nicole hadn’t changed how she looked at Waverly at all since they’d started being a thing together. So Waverly was a bit oblivious, thank you Chrissy for pointing that out. 

“I’m just glad someone finally made a move and I don’t have to worry about my best friend pinning away her high school years like all those gross movies they keep trying to sell with the clearly thirty year old actors pretending to be in puberty. Like, let’s get real okay?” Chrissy either was oblivious to the turmoil of feelings that Waverly was attempting to mask or she was just being polite and letting her friend work it out. Either way, she pulled together an outfit option and laid it atop the others for Waverly to approve. 

“Oh, this will work!” Waverly held the top and short shorts up to her body to preview in the full length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. Pair this with her favorite pair of cowgirl boots and her hat and it was a perfect choice for ‘Western Day’. 

Chrissy let the ‘love’ talk slip away as they focused on planning their outfits for the week. Waverly sent the occasional text to Nicole and a few to Wynonna with no room for argument on what the plan for the week would be. Things only turned serious in conversation again with the mention of the homecoming dance. 

“So, is she matching your dress? Is she going to wear a dress? I don’t really see Nicole as a dressy person. Too much flannel in that wardrobe,” Chrissy looked over the dress that Waverly had gone shopping with Gus for the previous week. It was cute, not too showy or revealed too much skin. Perfectly modest which was Waverly’s goal. 

“Um, well we aren’t technically going as a couple. It’s a group thing with Wynonna and her friends too,” Waverly stretched out on her bed, phone in hand and waiting for Nicole to text her back. 

“Ah, so no cute matching this time,” Chrissy pouted for her. 

“There’s always prom for that. I’m sure we’ll tell Wynonna before then,” Waverly shrugged and then smiled at Nicole’s response to her text. 

“Ugh, that won’t be till next year though. Such a shame. I would not want to miss any opportunity to be all cute with my boyfriend, secret relationship or not,” Chrissy turned back to play with the material of Waverly’s dress. 

“What do you mean next year?” Waverly paused with her reply to Nicole.

“You’re a freshman this year. Even if Nicole bought your ticket, the prom committee won’t let you go. Strictly no freshmen. Bullshit rule if you ask me,” Chrissy turned and then joined Waverly on the bed quickly. 

“But I’ll be a Sophomore after the holiday break. I’ve got A’s in all my classes and short of completely bombing the finals, I’ll move up a grade,” Waverly was absolutely heartbroken. 

“They don't care about that. You started the year as a Freshmen and they’ll only look at that,” Chrissy pulled Waverly into a tight side hug. 

Waverly tried to hide how devastating that fact was. She was working so hard to catch up to where she was supposed to be. If she hadn’t been pulled for a year she’d be a Sophomore and she could coordinate her dress with Nicole, who she pictured would wear a tux, and it would be a magically memorable perfect high school memory that everyone dreamed of. Instead this year all she would get would be the Homecoming dance next weekend and it wouldn’t even compare. 

“I’m going to jump in the shower really quick and get ready for bed,” Waverly dropped her phone by her pillow and Chrissy quietly nodded. Waverly grabbed her pajamas and a clean towel then disappeared to wallow for the few minutes she’d allow while in the shower. No need to cry over something so trivial but she’d give herself a minute and then file it away into the disappointment drawer of her mind and move on. 

*********

The week was a blur of Homecoming activities and Waverly was not disappointed in her first experience. Nicole attempted to match her enthusiasm with dressing up for the daily themes and Wynonna bullshitted through most of them but had managed to hit a few without trying. She swore she had no idea it was ‘Twin’ day on Wednesday when she’d worn a blue flannel that perfectly matched Nicole and Waverly, who did coordinate. Wynonna had made a joke of it by lunch time when she’d returned to campus after skipping out on the last class and produced two matching red wigs for her and Waverly to wear so that they were proper twins to Nicole. 

Being in marching band had its perks. Band kids were excused out of class early on pep rally days and this week, partly to practice for the Homecoming parade, the band marched through the halls playing the fight song to gather the students up behind them and into the gym. She was proud to walk through the halls in her band shirt and jeans. It was almost as good as wearing a letterman jacket, especially since most schools thought the band was actually kind of cool since they won trophies at competitions and had a reputation with other schools marching bands. 

The actual Homecoming parade was much, much, different than playing through the school halls. It was hot out, not really cooling off until the sun set, so they were all sweating in their wool uniforms. They’d been dressed in them for a while, having changed at the band room and loaded the buses while in uniform so they’d be prepared soon as they reached the unloading area for the parade. For the most part the band had stood around after warm ups until the parade was in motion and then it was standing at attention until the line progressed enough that they could start moving. It was practically legalized torture and Waverly hated it. Especially since she had no view what-so-ever of her girlfriend in formation and only got the time on the bus with her. 

Then there was the football game. Band was pretty much the only saving grace this week as the other team pretty much wiped the field and the Devils. Apparently, no mercy was the goal from the other school and it showed when most of the starting players looked a bit teary eyed by halftime. She could just imagine the post game commentary she’d get from Chrissy who had a much closer view of the dramatics from the cheerleading section on the field. This game though she did catch a glimpse of Wynonna coming out from under the bleachers to see the halftime show and then just before she disappeared for the night with some friends Waverly was starting to recognize. 

********

Saturday night. It was finally time for her first dance and she bounced excitedly in her room while she and Chrissy got ready. Chrissy’s date was going to meet them here at the Homestead and Wynonna’s friends were coming so they could all follow each other to the school. Nicole had promised that she’d drive just her and Waverly, since Wynonna had a gang of people to ride with, and now that Waverly had her Jeep they hadn’t ridden to school together all week. Her gift of independence had her feeling a little lonely since it took away the excuse to ride with Nicole every day but she did love her Jeep with every excited fiber of her being. 

Waverly and Chrissy came bouncing down the steps when Curtis called up for them. Wynonna was already kicked out on the couch with Rosita and the York brothers. Wynonna had chosen some black jeans, a fairly nicer shirt than normal and her ‘dress’ leather jacket. Rosita wore a tight red shirt that hung off the shoulders and a black skirt that hugged her curves. They were quite the sight that had their dates elbowing each other while practically drooling. Skip had been standing next to them but when Chrissy rounded the corner he slipped to her side. Waverly cringed a bit at the display happening in her living room but Wynonna was always going to do whatever she wanted. 

Curtis smiled at Waverly with warm eyes and open arms, “Wow, you look gorgeous honey.” 

She smoothed her hands down the material that stopped just before her knees but the overlay of lace trailed down in just past. The dress had a solid heart line bodice but the lace came up in thick straps over her shoulders. It was modest and sexy without trying too hard and the dark purple color complemented her tan. She was in love with the dress, especially how the lace billowed out around her thighs as she moved and twirled and couldn’t wait to be dancing in it. 

Gus was just around the corner, coming from the kitchen with Nicole trailing behind her. “Oh my goodness girls! Let me just get a photo of all of you. You all look so beautiful,” Gus turned from Nicole and went for her phone on the coffee table. 

Nicole took the break in the chaos to join Waverly’s side as Wynonna, Rosita, the York brothers, Chrissy, and Skip all grouped up by the staircase for Gus to start directing into place to be able to fit them all into the photo. Waverly paused to admire Nicole’s outfit for the evening. She was dressed in all black from her converse, dress pants, button up and tie. Nicole had the sleeves folded up to just under her elbows and Waverly traced her fingers up her forearm and then across her shoulder until she slipped Nicole’s tie through her fingers and noticed the subtle pattern that weaved in thin lines. She tilted the material to catch the light better and the purple popped. 

Nicole smiled at the breath that escaped Waverly and then turned into Waverly’s side as Gus began taking the pictures she wanted. Gus took countless photos and gushed over everyones outfits until Wynonna started whining and then dragging her friends to the door. 

“Oh no one is stopping you Wynonna. Go on then and git. Just remember you’re curfew tonight and I better not get a call from Nedley,” Gus let nearly everyone make a dash for the front door before turning to Waverly and Nicole, “Do you two mind?” Gus gestured with her phone, suggesting just a photo of Nicole and Waverly. 

“We’re going to head on but we’ll meet you two in the gym,” Chrissy pulled her date to the door and walked out with a parting wink at Waverly. 

“You two are both so precious,” Gus smiled holding her phone up. 

Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist and smiled as Waverly’s hands laced with hers. Waverly buzzed and couldn’t believe the start of her night. Nicole had matched with her. It was subtle and no one would be able to determine it but Waverly knew. She just didn’t know how Nicole knew her dress was purple or that she matched the shade near perfectly. As Gus took the pictures she knew her smile had her eyes crinkling. She made a mental note to have Gus text it to her so she could get it printed for her memory board. 

“Thanks Gus for the pictures but I think it's best that I get Waverly to the dance,” Nicole politely tugged Waverly’s hand towards the front door. Curtis stopped them both and gave them big hugs before he stepped back to pull Gus into his arms. 

“You girls have fun and the same goes for you. Don’t forget your curfew and I better not get a call from Nedley,” Gus gave a pointed look and then shooed them out the door with parting hugs. 

With the homestead at their backs Nicole took Waverly’s hand and walked her to her car parked down the driveway. The other vehicles were gone already and Waverly took advantage by pulling Nicole in by her tie before Nicole could pull open the passenger side door for her, “You look very handsome. How did you know my dress was purple?” 

“Chrissy texted me last weekend,” Nicole confessed and dipped her head so their foreheads tipped together. 

“Very sneaky,” Waverly whispered.

“She might have mentioned that if I valued my appendages that I best do everything in my power to spoil my girlfriend at the only dance I’ll be able to take her too,” Nicole pulled Waverly close. Waverly drifted her hands up till they interlaced behind Nicole’s neck, mindful of the beautiful waves that were pulled back out of Nicole’s eyes. 

“It was most definitely a pleasant surprise,” Waverly tipped up on her toes and kissed her. 

When she dropped down to her heels Nicole reached over and pulled open the passenger door, “Not the only surprise I have for you.” Nicole pulled back and then retrieved a small clear container from the seat that held a beautiful purple rose wrapped up in a black ribbon. 

“Oh my gosh, Nicole!” Waverly felt her chest tighten, tears building in the corner of her eyes as she looked between her amazing girlfriend and the beautiful matching corsage that she was being present with, “Will you put it on for me?” 

Nicole tipped her head down and nodded with a small smile. Nicole took her time, making sure the ribbon was secured correctly and settled on her wrist properly, “You like it?” 

“It’s perfect,” Waverly stood on her toes again, placing another kiss on her girlfriends lips, “This is already the best night ever.” 

“Hold on to that thought until you see my dancing,” Nicole chuckled then helped Waverly into the passenger seat so they could actually make it to the dance. 

By the time they arrived at the school, the parking lot was crowded and groups of students were huddled up in various areas. Nicole parked a bit away from the door but they held hands walking until they made it under the lights of the gym and then Nicole guided her with a hand to her lower back through the doors. 

It was a “Under the Sea” theme this year and the gym was decorated in various shades of blue and white with a large wave shaped arch that bracketed the gym entrance. Soon as they made it inside the music echoed in her chest and it was hard to see much of anything with the low lights tinted in blue. More groups of students were scattered about, most congregating near the snack and punch table. 

They scanned the groups near them but didn’t see Wynonna or Chrissy. Nicole pulled her more inside, and after a few minutes of not finding any of their friends, Nicole pulled her towards the dance floor and Waverly couldn’t stop smiling if she tried. Nicole’s warning was fair about her dancing but Waverly had no care in the world as she laughed and they twisted, twirled, hip bumped and generally just built up a sweat as the lace of her dress billowed around them on the dance floor. 

Eventually Chrissy and Skip found them out in the crowd and Waverly swore she saw Wynonna grinding on a few different people, none of which were the people she’d met up with at the Homestead. Nicole spent a couple of the more poppy songs dancing with Wynonna and whoever she’d managed with while she and Chrissy got something to drink. Eventually Nicole came to join them with a shrug in response to where her sister had disappeared to. 

The night continued on and Wynonna didn’t make another appearance and eventually Chrissy disappeared too. Nicole stayed with Waverly and they continued to dance to all the upbeat songs and take breaks during the slower ones until the DJ started to call out that it was the final songs. Not many students were still around, mostly just small groups that didn’t want to head home yet, mostly the same reason that Nicole and Waverly were still hanging out in the gym. 

The music slowed down and instead of walking off the dance floor, Nicole pulled Waverly close and wrapped her hands around her waist and Waverly settled hers on Nicole’s shoulders. She didn’t want to pressure Nicole into dancing so intimately with fellow classmates around them but she didn’t fight as Nicole started them in a gentle sway and rested their foreheads together. 

She closed her eyes and breathed, committing the moment to memory. They swayed in a small circle, plenty of distance between them and the final few remaining in the gym. Eventually the song did have to end and shortly after the lights were turned on and volunteers began cleaning up. They left with shy smiles and soon as they were out of sight Nicole laced their fingers together. 

She couldn’t have imagined a more perfect end to her first Homecoming week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seemed that Under the Sea was a common theme people had....so why not WayHaught.


	14. Fall Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang go to the fall festival and be all cute together and stuff.

**_October_ **

The leaves were starting to shift colors, a chill setting in the air much earlier in the days now, and the sun was starting to set towards the end of their afternoon band practice. It was fall and Nicole's favorite time of the year. She could officially break out her collection of flannel shirts and not be overly judged for wearing one every day. Not to mention the work she did on the Homestead was far more pleasant as she didn’t risk a heat stroke any more with the cooler nights. 

But with it now October it meant that marching band season would be coming to an end soon and her focus would shift to basketball. Ms. Lucado had already approached her about considering, once again, to join the concert band this year. They needed a strong percussionist to lead but Nicole hated the music they played and it killed her passion for it. She was great at cadence and the fun songs they did for the show but she could not stand the holiday music or the dullness of the percussion pieces. Maybe if she found more entertainment in counting and following along but she did not want to stand for five minutes in a button down and bow tie just to roll against a snare for a few seconds and then just stand there. It was boring and she would refuse until she was blue in the face. She was going to miss marching season. 

The feeling was settling more as their final competition weekend was approaching. It was their big weekend trip. They’d be excused from classes on Friday so they could load up the buses and head five hours out of town. Friday was the drive and a treat to getting to spend a few hours at the mall in the city where all the cool department stores were and their stop for food. Then they’d all check into the hotel where parents would tape them into the rooms for the night. Saturday they’d get up early and head to the stadium for the biggest competition of the season. Then they’d load up on the buses again and drive over night back into Purgatory for early morning Sunday drop off. 

The excitement was buzzing throughout the entire band, especially her girlfriend, as practices were running late and drill was continuously being run until Nicole had blisters on her hands and heels again. The goal was perfection and Lucado was keen on drilling it into them every day. At least Lonnie wasn’t tripping the line or dropping his sticks anymore so Nicole took that as a win no matter what. 

The only hiccup with the overnight trip were room assignments. Nicole had already secured the bus signup with Waverly as her seat partner. This trip they got the big tour buses with the TVs and armrests. A much better ride than the school buses. The other sign up was for room assignments. There had to be four to the room, no exceptions, and Nicole's only band friends were guys. Waverly had taken stride with getting to know most everyone in the band, the trick being her smile and wave, but Nicole only hung out with Robin and Jeremy when she wasn’t with her percussion line or Waverly. 

Ms. Lucado was pretty strict with room assignments. After finding out that Robin and Jeremy were dating, they weren’t allowed to room with each other. Nicole had been approached by her band director about Shae, who Nicole confirmed that she was no longer dating, but she didn’t reveal her relationship with Waverly and they were currently on the room sheet with two open slots for other girls to sign up with them. Waverly had been talking to a few of her section mates to join them when Nicole told her she didn’t care who joined them. 

Sharing a room with two other people wasn’t going to offer them any privacy anyway so Nicole had no ulterior plans for the hotel room. She was just looking forward to getting to share the trip with Waverly. She did plan on sneaking Waverly away at the mall and hopefully turning it into a bit of a date. She had a few ideas she thought her girlfriend would like. It was honestly one of the top reasons she was looking forward to the final competition weekend so much. They could shop and hold hands, get some food court food and a sugary treat from a kiosk, maybe spend some time in the arcade. It was what all the couples in the band looked forward to doing and Nicole had Waverly to look forward to sharing it with. Sophomore Nicole had dreamed of this and now it was Nicole’s reality. She couldn’t believe it most days. 

October didn’t just bring cooler nights and the big competition weekend. It also brought the fall festival which her girlfriend had lately taken to dropping hints about. Waverly wanted to carve pumpkins, do the haunted maze as well as a haunted house, the rides and games, and everything else that festival brought to town. The competition was the weekend before Halloween and Waverly wanted to spend Halloween watching horror movies and handing out candy in Chrissy’s neighborhood since they actually got trick or treaters. So that meant going to the festival the weekend before which was in just a few days. 

Anything to make Waverly happy and Nicole was feeling the pressure lately. Since Waverly’s birthday, and the gift of a Jeep, they had a harder time finding time together romantically. Nicole wasn’t pressed to stay at the Homestead to give Waverly rides to school or home from practice anymore and her parents had started to demand she actually use her own bedroom despite them hardly being home themselves. There were talks from her parents that they’d be going out of town for a while on business just before the holidays and it being the reason they wanted her home so much lately. It was all bullshit. She kept her thoughts to herself about it, just to save herself from the drama of fighting with half caring parents, but she cared. She cared what they thought about her and her grades and who she would bring home. It was such a double sided blade. They were never around and she knew it wouldn’t matter what her grades or anything else she did would register on their radar. They only cared that she picked a ‘morally’ decent career and didn’t embarrass them if she was with them at corporate events. Not that she’d attended those since telling them she was a lesbian. It just sucked and Nicole still had the rest of this year and next before she could graduate and not have to care anymore. Once she enlisted they’d want nothing to do with her anyway. 

Maybe she’d see how Waverly would feel about coming over to her place. Her parents were becoming more consistent with not being home and if they did catch her with Waverly it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Nicole even doubted that her parents would ever talk to Gus or Curtis about anything anyway. Nicole had promised she’d brainstorm ways to spend more time together, especially since marching band would be ending and they wouldn’t even have practice together. Although, according to Chrissy, Waverly was a sure pick for the spring cheerleading squad so Nicole would see her at basketball games. Tryouts had been the week before and Nicole had made the team again.

Nicole was starting to feel the pressure of promises made. One being telling Wynonna and finally taking them public but not until the competition weekend was over so those plans didn’t derail. She just didn’t know how to tell her best friend that she was in love with her little sister and kept it from her for this long. Nicole had over a week to figure it out then she’d talk to Wynonna. Waverly meant more than being a secret. Waverly meant everything. 

*************

It was going to be a group outing to the festival. It was Friday night so it’d be busy but they planned on hitting the haunted maze first since it’d take the most time and then work their way through some games and rides. Nicole had promised to meet Waverly there with their friends once she’d finished eating dinner with her parents. 

Nicole had arrived before everyone, dressed in her favorite blue flannel and black jeans and boots, and holding her letterman jacket she’d earned last year. Now that the weather was cooler and she was officially on the team again she had dragged the black and blue jacket out of the back of her closet. It wasn’t quite cold enough to pull it on yet but as the sun dropped it would get colder. 

Waverly was catching a ride with Chrissy, Robin, and Jeremy. Wynonna was supposed to be meeting them also with Rosita and the York brothers. She smelt the weed before she saw them. Wynonna had her arm looped through Rosita’s with the brothers trailing behind them. 

“Haught Sauce! You made it!” Wynonna pulled Nicole into a hug and then spun them to gesture at the festival's front gates, “Ready for the god awful adventure my baby sis is demanding we partake in?” 

“Are you going to be like this all night?” Nicole rolled her eyes. Wynonna would talk shit but she was always just as excited for this as Waverly was. Last year it was Wynonna who wouldn’t leave until they won at least a goldfish. Which didn’t even stay alive for twenty four hours and Waverly still insisted they have a proper funeral for it. Nicole refused to win any ‘pets’ this year. Only stuffed prizes or she was out. No way was she putting a tie on to watch Waverly flush a dead fish down the toilet again. 

“I’m ready to have a good time with my best friends. Baby girl here yet?” Wynonna looked around the parking lot and then dropped her arm from Nicole’s shoulder with a wide smile. Waverly and Chrissy were skipping up to the group with Robin and Jeremy trailing behind with clasped hands. Nicole was happy to see the two public about their relationship and soon so would she and Waverly. 

“About time you got Waves! I was just about to leave you behind and take all the good prizes for myself,” Wynonna teased and Waverly just rolled her eyes in response. 

“Okay, is the haunted maze still the plan of action?” Rosita took Wynonna’s arm again as they made their way to the entrance. 

“Yes! I heard it’s a real screamer this year,” Waverly stepped up to the entrance booth as they all pulled out some cash for their entrance fees.

“I’ll tell you who a real screamer is.” The comment was from one of the York brothers, not that Nicole could tell who was who, and Wynonna turned back to them with a wink. 

Nicole ignored them and subtly paid for Waverly’s fee. They all stepped to the side once they’d paid and secured their wrist bands. It gave them access to the maze, rides, and the haunted house. As a group they worked their way through the crowd and booths to the back where the entrance to the large maze was located. There was already a small line when they approached but it looked to be moving rather quickly. 

Most everyone paired up; Wynonna and Rosita, Jeremy and Robin, the brothers, and Chrissy and Waverly with Nicole hovering in the back. She didn’t mind as she contributed to the debate of which movies they should watch on Halloween and what ordered. Once they entered the maze, their pairings separated a bit. Wynonna insisted on only taking right turns declaring that to be the only strategy needed. It didn’t matter that every fork they came to had trivia questions or riddles to help determine the correct path. 

Every other turn they could hear rustling in the corn or the faint whirl of a chainsaw starting up. When the first actor jumped through the corn to scream bloody murder Waverly and Chrissy were gripping at her arms and screaming right back. Nicole did jump but pulled the two into her sides and kept them moving. 

They lost Wynonna, Rosita, and the York brothers very quickly and eventually Robin and Jeremy took a different turn too but it seemed more purposefully with the giggling the two were doing. Nicole figured they had the right idea but she didn’t want Chrissy to feel like a third wheel so Nicole ignored pulling Waverly into the corn stalks and kissing her senseless. Instead she led them as bravely as she could through the haunts. The sun was setting and the air got cooler. When Nicole noticed the slight shiver on Waverly’s shoulders she didn’t think twice about offering her letterman jacket. 

“You two are so cute,” Chrissy faked a gag as Waverly pulled Nicole down for a quick peck as she pulled on the jacket that almost swallowed her up. That feeling in Nicole’s chest burned brighter seeing her jacket on her girlfriend, hair swept out and to the side so the Devils embroider on the side was visible. That feeling was becoming quicker and quicker to define and sitting more on the tip of Nicole’s tongue. Waverly slipped her arm back through Nicole’s and they continued on through the maze doing fairly well without too much backtracking from dead ends. 

She did fairly well until they had to climb into a bus through the back and then step off from the front into an attached trailer that was progressively a tighter and tighter fit. Nicole knew it was just plastic walls that were tapered with air flowing through to make it feel like you were crammed into a tight space and practically clawing your way through to the exit. 

Chrissy had taken the front with Waverly between them but as the space got tighter she’d lost her grip on Waverly’s hand and then it was harder to breathe. A hand reached back grabbing her flannel by the collar and pulled. She would never admit that she came bursting out of the exit screaming the way she did. When Waverly doubled over laughing Nicole cleared her throat and adjusted her flannel. 

“You okay there Haught,” Chrissy was biting back a laugh as well.

“Yep, totally fine,” She straightened her shoulders and sighed in relief at the exit of the maze in front of them.

“Well, glad you kept your cool all the way to the end,” Chrissy did laugh then and Waverly pulled Nicole back into her side so they could hold hands. 

“Let’s see if anyone else has made it out yet,” Waverly offered and pulled them away from the air tunnel and back out into the crowd of people walking around. 

No one else from their group was hanging by the exit and they agreed to wait for a bit in case anyone came out. After ten minutes Waverly finally just texted her sister that they were going to go play some games and ride a few rides and they’d meet up at some point. 

“She and Rosita are probably just making out with Kyle and Pete somewhere,” Chrissy sighed in annoyance that they’d stood around as long as they did. 

“Robin and Jeremy are probably doing the same,” Nicole shrugged. 

“Well, I’ll give them an ear full about it later for ditching us on group night,” Waverly pulled Nicole’s arm, tugging her towards some of the games they were near. 

Chrissy pointed at a few different ones and then taunted Nicole to win them a prize. Nicole took the challenge in stride and steered them away from the games that offered gold fishes. Nicole took chances at a handful of different games and spent way more of her fun money than she should have but she managed to win a decent sized stuffed unicorn for Waverly and a stuffed banana for Chrissy. 

Their next stop was for snacks; loading up on corn dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy. It probably wasn’t the best idea because Chrissy was then dragging them towards the rides. Nicole and Waverly politely declined the ones they knew would make them sick. When they’d decided to do the Haunted House they finally met back up with Robin and Jeremy who were heading for the line to the Ferris wheel. After seeing the long line for the haunted house, they opted for the Ferris wheel as well. 

They caught up with Robin and Jeremy, who had been caught making out in the maze by one of the actors who was more scared by them than they were by him. The sun had set fully and the festival lights were reflecting off of Waverly’s hair and in her eyes. Her smile was wide and full causing the cute crinkles by her eyes. Nicole’s letterman jacket was pulled tight across Waverly’s chest and she bounced on her feet in excitement as they reached the front of the line to board into their seats. Chrissy stepped back so Waverly and Nicole could sit together. 

They sat still letting the attendant secure their safety bar and waiting for the ride to rotate and lift them higher while the seats were filled. Waverly scooted closer to her side, their hands lacing together. 

“This has been so much fun,” Waverly leaned into Nicole’s side and rested her head on her shoulder as they waited to be lifted higher. 

The view of the festival was amazing. So many people had shown up tonight and all the games and rides were packed with happy families and friends. The dings and bells of games filled the air as well as the dull roar of the crowds. As they reached the top they could make out the design of the maze and see some of the people making their way through it. Despite all the sights and sounds of the festival below them, the presence of Waverly beside her made the night magical. 

“I’ve had the best time with you tonight,” Nicole leaned her head to fit over Waverly’s, tucking her more into her side. 

“Despite Chrissy being with us and everyone else ditching us?” 

“All I need is you.” 

Waverly pulled back and that smile took Nicole’s breath right from her lungs. Nicole untangled their hands and wrapped her arm around Waverly’s shoulder, pulling her tight into her side and leaned down. Waverly’s hand found her jaw, fingers tracing the ridge and feathering down her neck to pull her closer. Waverly’s lips were warm against hers, their breath a thick fog between them as they kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel. 

They kissed until the ride jolted and began to rotate them back towards the ground. About halfway they pulled apart until they were just holding hands again but the look in Waverly’s eyes still held Nicole’s heart in a tight grip. Something shifted at the top of the Ferris wheel, hanging heavy with promise and hope between them and Nicole didn’t feel she was alone with the constant thumping of how her heart felt these days. 

They stepped off the ride and noticed Robin and Jeremy standing to the side with wide worried eyes. 

“What’s wro-,” 

_ CRACK _

Nicole stumbled back blinding pain in her jaw and neck as her head snapped back from the fist that connected with her face. 

“WYNONNA!” 

Nicole looked up just as Wynonna swung her fist again and this time when it connected with Nicole’s cheek she felt like her brain was going to burst inside her skull and then the feeling of something wet trickling down her cheek and neck. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my baby sister you fucking perv?” Wynonna shoved at Nicole’s shoulders and Nicole stumbled back until she was splayed out in the dirt and staring up as Wynonna towered over her. 

Waverly grabbed at Wynonna’s shoulders and pulled her back, “What the hell Wynonna?!”

“Let’s go baby girl,” Wynonna turned, grabbing Waverly by the arm and pulling, “I’m taking you home.”

Nicole kicked her feet, scrambling to get herself upright, “Wynonna, stop. Let me explain.” 

“Un-fucking-believable. My best friend and my sister,” Wynonna seemed to notice Waverly wearing Nicole’s letterman jacket and stepped back. The anger becoming more flush in Wynonna’s face, “My best fucking friend and my baby sister.” 

Nicole gets her feet under her and stands and steps forward, “Wynonna, please.”

“No! Fuck you Nicole. She’s my baby sister and I just saw you with your tongue down her throat,” Wynonna turns on her again, fists clenched with her lips pulled back in a sneer. 

Nicole can only be honest and hope that Wynonna hears her. 

“Wy,” Nicole steps forward, risking the distance of getting punched again and meets Waverly’s wide eyes. She doesn’t hesitate, no waiver in her voice, “I love her.” 

“What?” Wynonna drops her raised fist down to her side.

“I’m in love with Waverly.” 

Wynonna turns to look at her sister. Tears are building up in her eyes and she smiles at Nicole, “You do?” 

“I love you,” Nicole risks another step further, not really seeing Wynonna anymore as all she can focus on is Waverly and the watery smile. 

“I love you too.” 

It takes the air out of Nicole’s lungs and she feels the tears at the corner of her eyes threaten to spill over. She wants to move forward and pull Waverly into her arms but Wynonna is still between them, her head snapping back and forth between the two. 

Wynonna is no longer red in the face, and the scowl drops as she continues to look between her sister and Nicole. The tension breaks as Wynonna lifts her arms, grabbing both Waverly and Nicole by the shoulder, “My best friend and my sister.” 

The tone in Wynonna’s voice is awe and then she pulls them all together into a tight hug, “My best friend and my baby sister!” 

Nicole feels like her heart is going to beat out of her chest from the emotional whiplash but at least she’s close enough to take Waverly’s hand again. Wynonna pulls back and examines the two and then shoves them together before narrowing her eyes, “We are going to talk about this at home.” 

“Yeah, we should probably go. Security is on its way over and it looks like Nedley,” Rosita slides up beside them and points over Chrissy’s shoulder to see the Sheriff making a beeline to the commotion that they’ve caused. 

“Shit! Best scram to the parking lot,” Wynonna jumps back and then points at Nicole, “I’ll see you at my house Haught. Don’t keep me waiting.” 

“Wynonna!” Waverly hisses at her sister but then pulls at Nicole’s hand and they all split to disappear into the crowd. 

Nicole can hear Sheriff Nedley call after them but they don’t stop as they push their way through the crowd and out into the far part of the parking lot. They don’t stop moving until they are locked into Nicole’s car. No one seems to have followed them this far. Waverly turns in the passenger seat and tilts Nicole’s face to the side, reaching up to turn on the cab lighting. Nicole hears the intake of breath and winces as Waverly gently touches the swelling at her cheek and chin. 

“I’m going to kill her,” Waverly huffs before pulling back and dropping open Nicole’s glovebox looking for napkins to wipe away the blood. 

“I can’t really blame her though,” Nicole sighs and slumps sideways into the driver seat, “It is my fault.” 

“Like hell it is. She shouldn’t have punched you,” Waverly turned back and started to dap at Nicole's cheek. She tried her best to not wince but her face was throbbing and the napkin was rough against her irritated skin. 

“I asked you to keep us a secret so yeah, it is my fault,” Nicole couldn’t meet Waverly’s eyes. 

“You wanted to keep this between us because you were afraid that Wynonna was going to do exactly what she just did,” Waverly balled up the napkin and dropped it into the cup holder with a sigh, “It was more foresight than anything.” 

“Baby,” Nicole met Waverly’s gaze and let out a deep breath through shaky lips, “I’m sorry. Everyone knows now.” 

“Did you mean it?”

“That I love you?” 

“Yes.” 

Nicole reached up, fingers lightly trailing beneath Waverly’s chin and then cupping her jaw, “I love you Waverly Earp. I have for a long time.” 

The tears were building up hazel eyes again and Waverly leaned forward with quivering lips until they settled firmly against Nicole’s. She ignored the pain that pulled against her swollen check, focusing on Waverly who pressed forward as tightly as she could with the arm rests between them. Hands gripped tightly at the front of her flannel as Nicole flexed her fingers against Waverly’s neck, her other hand reaching up to clutch at Waverly’s against her chest. 

Their lips parted with a desperate intake of air as their foreheads tilted to rest together. 

“I love you too, Nicole Haught.” 

The feeling in her chest bloomed and burst and Nicole couldn’t stop the choked laugh of relief, “Hearing you say that and I feel brave enough to face anything.” 

“Brave enough for Wynonna who will probably beat us back to the Homestead?” Waverly laughed with her. 

“Bring it on,” Nicole took a deep breath and then leaned forward to kiss Waverly again. It wasn’t how she planned on telling her best friend she had fallen in love with her baby sister and all things considering this could have gone much worse. She’d wear the bruises for being an idiot about keeping the best thing in her life a secret but now it wasn’t a secret anymore. She’d get through the talk with Wynonna and then tomorrow she could move forward with openly being in love with the most amazing person on the planet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know the reveal of Wynonna finally finding out about Nicole and Waverly has been a eagerly awaited chapter and here we have it. I hope I did it justice and that you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> This is where I really had the outline done up till. I have some more ideas and scenes for this story but we'll probably start to see some time jumps moving forward. 
> 
> I love everyone who comments and leaves kudos. I'm so happy that this fic is enjoyed. Happy holidays everyone and see you all in the next update.


	15. Make me a promise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna and Nicole talk  
> Waverly and Nicole talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait on an update. Needed some time to recharge after holidays and decide where I wanted to take the fic from here. I'm sure some of you will notice the end chapter count now. We are in the home stretch but still a bit to get through for Waverly's first year of high school.

When they had gotten back to the Homestead Wynonna was waiting up in the loft for Nicole. Nicole kissed Waverly goodnight and promised she’d be fine to be left with Wynonna now that the shock of their relationship had passed and it was unlikely that Wynonna would punch her again. Safe to say it was a breath of relief when she had climbed the loft ladder to be met with a bag of frozen peas and an opened whiskey bottle. 

They sat in silence until the bag of peas had mostly thawed out and the bottle was nearing half way empty. The lights had turned out in the house awhile ago, Nicole figured at this point Waverly was probably drifting asleep. With the amount of whiskey she alone had consumed she would definitely be falling asleep on her cot tonight. Maybe she could sneak some time with Waverly tomorrow before going to work out on the cabins. 

“So, how long have you been sleeping with Waverly?” Wynonna’s voice cracked through the silence and Nicole winced.

“We haven’t slept together yet,” Nicole confessed and took the bottle from Wynonna for another sip. Wynonna actually turned towards Nicole with surprise and then narrowed eyes. 

“I mean it when I say that I love her, Wy. I think I’ve been in love with Waverly for a very long time.” 

“I swear to every cosmic being in the universe Haught, if you break her heart, no one will ever find your body,” Wynonna set the bottle down, capped it, and then placed a firm grip on Nicole’s shoulder, “Waverly is all I have left and I will do anything to protect her.” 

Nicole placed her hand on top of Wynonna’s, “I know, Wy.” 

"But, seriously, how long?"

Nicole grimaced, and sighed, "I was the one that wanted to keep it a secret so please don't be upset with Waverly."

"So you didn't want to tell me?" The hurt in Wynonna’s voice breaks Nicole’s heart and she hates herself for ever thinking it was the right move. 

"I was around when you slashed 3 of Steven's tires because he called Waverly 'bangable' so yeah I was nervous to tell you," Nicole's shoulders deflate knowing her reasoning at the time doesn't make up for the hurt she's causing now.

"Pretty sure you sliced one of those and then kicked out his taillight too," Wynonna pointed at her, glaring at the poor excuse.

"No one talks about Waves that way," Nicole shrugged. 

"You aren't wrong Haught sauce," Wynonna nodded and then turned to look back out the loft window. 

"I am sorry, Wy."

"You're family, Nicole. If I could ever be okay with Waverly dating, I know you'd never break her heart," Wynonna gives her another pointed look, "Also, I know you know I know where to hide a body."

They sat outside in the loft for only a bit longer, the bite of the cold air finally starting to wear them down. When they snuck their way inside the house it was quiet. Nicole paused just outside Waverly’s door, listening to hear if Waverly had indeed fallen asleep and contemplating, now that Wynonna knew about them, if she could slip in just for a moment to kiss her girlfriend goodnight. 

“Don’t even think about it Haught shot,” Wynonna drug Nicole through the bedroom door by the back of her collar. 

************

Despite the late hour of finally crawling into the cot to sleep she was up nearly with the sun a few hours later. The house was quite save for Wynonna’s snoring that echoed on the upper floor. Gus and Curtis were already up if the fresh coffee in the pot was any indication. She drank a cup then grabbed a couple bottles of water to take with her out to the cabin. 

The cabin was in the final stage of being torn down, now just the foundation needed to be torn out. Curtis had already brought the small bobcat dozer they used for clearing snow in the winter over to finish cleaning up. Curtis had taught her how to use it the previous year and she’d been tasked with snow removal in various areas of the property and the main roads leading up to the Homestead. 

She fired up the bobcat and worked on tearing the foundation down to the roots. She was nearly done with relocating the debris to the burn pile when the UTV drove up. She killed the engine and hopped down from controls. Waverly smiled and held up an offering of fruit and sandwiches to which Nicole sighed gratefully. Her stomach growled just in time for Waverly to hear as Nicole climbed into the passenger seat of the UTV. 

“Morning baby,” Waverly reached over and gently ran her thumb under the swollen bruise and cut on Nicole’s cheek. 

“Morning Waves,” Nicole closed the distance between them and brought their lips together for a chaste kiss before pulling back and cracking open one of the water bottles. 

“Looks like you are ready to start building the new cabin,” Waverly offered Nicole some of the fruit, who took it gratefully. 

“Still need to finish tearing down the last cabin and then clearing the land and respacing the plots. These were built too close together to rebuild like they were. Still some work to be done but we are definitely making good progress. I should have the last one cleared out before it starts snowing,” Nicole had chugged half the water and then devoured the food Waverly brought. 

“Curtis told me he offered one of them for you,” Waverly turned in the seat, facing more towards Nicole now, “Do you think you’ll live out here with us?” 

“Considering how things are with my parents and your family has always treated me like an honorary Earp, I’m inclined to accept. I just think about our future and if that’ll be what will happen.” 

“I think it would be amazing,” Waverly’s entire face lit up and Nicole couldn’t help but match it. 

“Do you think about what you’ll do after you graduate?” 

Waverly leaned back in her seat, pulling one knee up to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. She was quiet, chewing on her bottom lip that Nicole knew meant Waverly was truly giving it thought. 

“I really want to go to college. Maybe something involving languages or history. I’ll come back here though, the Homestead is our legacy and I know I’ll want to help Wynonna run it when it's time for Curtis to pass it on to us,” Waverly reached out and laced her fingers with Nicole’s, “I also like to think that you and I will be together.” 

Nicole pulled their entwined hands into her lap and held them tight. Hearing that Waverly believed they’d still be together long in the future gave her hope that they would. She was about to tell Waverly what she wanted to do after graduating but the seriousness that settled over Waverly’s expression made her pause. 

“What is it?” 

Waverly squeezed her hand around Nicole's and looked up to meet Nicole’s eyes, “Can you make me a promise?” Nicole turned in her seat so they were facing each other and nodded. 

“Can you promise me that you’ll always be here? With me? I can’t imagine going through any milestone without you,” Waverly’s voice wavered as the emotion between them built. 

“Waverly Earp, I promise I will always be here for you,” Nicole scooted closer and leaned forward to seal the promise with a kiss, “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Waverly crept forward till her head rested on Nicole’s chest and Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s shoulders. 

“What brought this on babe?” 

“I just had a lot on my mind last night after we got home,” Waverly settled into Nicole’s embrace. 

“Did something happen or was it because of Wynonna?” 

She could feel Waverly shake her head against her chest and she rubbed circles into Waverly’s shoulder. 

“For a second I was worried Wynonna wouldn’t be okay with us but she finally looked at me and I think she saw just how much I love you. I know we’re young, and people will tell us we have no idea what love is, but I know what I feel Nicole and I can’t imagine ever not feeling this way when it comes to you. I definitely know I don’t ever want to.” 

Nicole pulled Waverly even tighter against her chest, her heart beating faster in her chest, “I feel the same Waves and I promise, I will always be by your side as long as you want me.” 

********

“CROFTE!” Nicole would run to catch up to him but she rather not trip in uniform while her drum is strapped to her. Her nerves are already bothering her. It was the final competition of the year and the one that families tended to attend. Nicole’s was no exception this time as her mother and father were both in the stands. It was the first time they’d ever attended one of her competitions and something told her it might be the only one they’d come too. 

“What do you want Haught?” Perry was leaned up against the bus, two of the color guard girls hovering nearby and twisting their hair around their fingers. 

“It’s final comp and I know your parents and brothers are here so take point in the show,” Nicole didn’t want to make a big deal out of the offer so she nodded once and then turned to head back to check on the rest of the section. 

“Wait, what?” Perry grabbed her shoulder, halting her from making a hasty getaway.

“Take point,” Nicole shrugged his hand off. 

“Why?” 

Nicole rubbed just under her eye, the bruise was healing but it left her cheek itchy. Her parents had no clue that she led the duet, they probably didn’t even remember that she made section leader this year so giving Perry the lead for his very last marching band competition didn’t matter for her. 

“Warm ups in five, don’t be late,” Nicole stepped away, leaving him with the girls and returning just in time to see Lonnie nearly put his foot through someone’s discarded snare.

“LONNIE!” Nicole growled, the headache between her brows was increasing. 

“Sorry!” 

She was about to let her frustration out on the rookie but stopped when Waverly came into her vision. 

They’d had the best day yesterday, the trip into the city and a band excursion to the mall for fun before they checked into the hotel. Unfortunately, with the MMA level of excitement at the fall festival, word had gotten to Lucado that there might be something going on between Waverly and Nicole. She’d been pulled into Lucado’s office first thing on Monday morning and opted to confess that they were dating now. Couples were allowed to sit together since the bus rides were supervised and it was a bit harder for them to get into anything with their peers surrounding them but since it was now at least knowledge to Lucado, they hadn’t been allowed to room together. 

A bit disappointing but probably for the best. At least they’d had a bit of a date at the mall. Nicole had bought her lunch and a pretzel, and they had walked around holding hands and did some window shopping. It was technically their first official date that didn’t involve hiding in Nicole’s car somewhere. Although, now that Wynonna knew about them Nicole planned to rectify that. 

Waverly was in uniform, trumpet in one hand, and hat tucked under the other, “How's my best baby?” 

This was new. Since Wynonna was well aware of them dating, they’d both become a bit bolder in their public interactions. However, in uniform it was hands off and being respectful. Nicole didn’t want either of them to set a bad example or potentially leave a less than presentable impression of the Purgatory Devils Marching Band. 

“Hey, Waves. Just trying to keep my section in line before we hit the field. How are you doing baby?” Nicole lets Waverly pull her to the side where the rest of the band getting ready won’t overhear them. 

“Did your folks really show up?” 

Nicole lets her head fall back and lets out a deep breath, “Yeah.” 

“Is that a good thing?” 

Nicole rolls out her neck and then looks back down at her, “I don’t know. They haven’t ever shown interest in band or basketball before.” 

“Maybe it’s a new leaf?” 

“Maybe it’s Maybelline,” Nicole chuckled and then rubbed at her eyes again. 

“Huh?” 

Nicole shook her head and kissed her forehead, “I think I’m just tired and stressed out by all this.” 

“Well, let’s just focus on the show. It is the very last one of the year so let’s go out and have a great time,” Waverly leant up on her tiptoes and placed a quick peck on Nicole’s cheek. 

“You’re right, let’s focus on the show, after all it’s your last one as a rookie,” Nicole grinned, feeling her headache ease just a bit. 

It didn’t matter that her parents finally showed or that this past week everything had changed. Waverly was by her side, Wynonna knew and approved of their relationship, and so long as the Earp's were her foundation, then everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it was ok that this chapter was a little shorter than all the others, but I didn't want to keep you all waiting more than I have. Thank you to everyone who has comment and reached out asking if I was still alive and to update. I hope you are enjoying the story and I plan to bring more to you all soon.


	16. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't a good thing that Nicole's parents showed up at their last competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, it's late and I cranked this out pretty quick. Enjoy.

Waverly absolutely loved that she didn’t have to hide her relationship with Nicole anymore. It was a relief and she didn’t have to worry about anyone questioning what Jeremy called ‘heart eyes’ when she looked at her girlfriend. But since their last competition, and the surprise of Nicole’s parents showing up, things had been a whirlwind of change. Nicole was normally Waverly’s rock but something had happened after that weekend and Waverly hadn’t really been brought up to speed yet. 

So it was a surprise that it was Wynonna who was dragging Waverly out into the barn and up into the loft with a notebook and a tape measure and a half assed attempt of explaining it had something to do with Nicole. The weather was rapidly cooling and it wouldn’t be long before snow started to cover the ground and Waverly would be begging for summer so she could feel her fingers and toes again. The loft was drafty and Waverly picked up one of the many spare blankets they kept up here to wrap tightly around her shoulders.

“Okay, Wy, can you please explain what the hell you are up to?” Waverly was cranky. Nicole had been whisked away to wherever her parents had decided they would vacation for Thanksgiving and where apparently had shit for cell reception because any attempt at calling or messaging had resulted in beeping and undeliverable message status. Waverly was in a Nicole withdrawal as this was the longest she’d been without her since band camp. 

“I think it was going to be a surprise or some shit baby girl but Nicole is going to be living with us permanently once she’s back from vacation,” Wynonna seemed overly excited about that news. 

“What? Why?” 

“You mean to tell me you aren’t excited about that? I mean, as your big sister it’ll be my duty to ensure your chastity belt is secure, but Haught shot will be here all the time now,” Wynonna dropped her notebook and then drastically made an attempt to measure one wall of the loft. 

“She’s already here all the time,” Waverly frowned, “And that doesn’t explain what we’re doing up here.” 

“Oh well, Curtis and Gus have decided that if Nicole is going to truly be a permanent resident here that she deserves her own space until the cabin gets finished and that won’t be till summer at least. So, we are converting the loft into a spare bedroom. Curtis needs measurements so he can do some math and shit and figure out about insulating the loft so she won’t freeze her tits off up here,” Wynonna starts mumbling the measurement to herself repeatedly until she’s able to write it down. 

“Wait, why is Nicole going to come live here permanently?” Waverly is excited about the idea of never having to worry if Nicole is going back to her empty apartment but this news has her absolutely worried about her girlfriend. Nicole has a strained relationship as it is with her parents and this sounds like abandonment. Which Waverly and Wynonna know a little something about. 

“I might have been home when Mr. Haught stopped by with a proposal for Curtis and Gus. He apparently got some big promotion or some shit and is moving to Thailand. Mrs. Haught is going with because it sounds like a dream or something. They didn’t want to pull Haught out of high school so close to graduating so they asked if she could just stay here with us,” Wynonna is jumping again in excitement and has moved on to another wall for measurements. 

Waverly is stunned but also heartbroken that Nicole is being abandoned. It explains the last minute vacation for the holiday. 

“Also, you should prepare but you’ve got a lecture on safe sex and increased house rules now that Haught sauce is going to be living here,” Wynonna chuckled then dropped the tape measure, muttering the numbers again until she wrote them down. 

Waverly finally took the notebook and pen from Wynonna, gesturing that she’ll help take the notes, “Nicole and I haven’t done that yet.” 

Wynonna pauses and squints, the tape measures rolling and snapping back into place. Whatever Wynonna is contemplating she seems to come to a consensus and turns to measure the space around the big loft window, “I don’t want to be a hypogrif or whatever, since you know sex is awesome and I like partaking in it, but I do want to protect you baby girl.” 

“You mean hypocrite?” Waverly shakes her head but smiles softly at the concern of her older sister. Her cheeks are red because they are talking about sex but its nice to know that her sister cares.” 

“Yeah,” Wynonna shrugs and lists off a few numbers for Waverly to write down, “Anyway, I know Haught wouldn’t mistreat you and she’s all respectful of your feelings but I also know she’s a bit of a horndog, Haughtdog if you will.”

Wynonna cackles at her own joke and Waverly just rolls her eyes at her sister's antics.

“What’s your point, Wy?” 

Wynonna turns from the wall and stares at Waverly for a few long seconds, “I just want you to be safe. Sex is fun and all, and although it will physically pain me to think of you and my best friend,” Wynonna pauses to make some obscene hand gestures, “Look, I’m here if you need to talk about it. Sex with feelings is a big deal.” 

Waverly feels like her heart might burst from the affection she feels towards Wynonna right now. She smiles wide and then pulls Wynonna into a crushing hug, “Thanks, Wy.” 

“Just, no details please. I can’t think of Haught doing any of that stuff on my baby sister,” Wynonna gags then turns back to her task. 

******

Now that Waverly was in on the living arrangement she dived feet first into the planning and execution of preparing the loft to be livable. Curtis had put her and Wynonna to work but for the large construction of tearing out the bad wood, and then insulating and building actual walls, Curtis had brought in the hired help. Champ had responded to the ads Waverly had hung up at school and was filling in more while Nicole was out of state with her parents. 

With Waverly wanting to make sure they got this done in time to surprise Nicole on her return, she was up helping him as often as she could. Mostly, it was a struggle to stay warm and she couldn’t do much with the thick insulated gloves on her hands but she could at least push materials closer to Champ and Curtis and instruct Wynonna over facetime which color scheme to shop for while out with Gus for paint and bedding. 

All in all Waverly felt like a one of the lead ladies on HGTV making sure the renovation was going to plan. The space, once walled in properly, would be a bit more cramped but considering Nicole mostly spent every night sleeping on a cot and shuffling through a handful of shirts folded into a draw in Wynonna’s room, this was going to be a penthouse suite. 

“Do you think she’ll like it?” Curtis and Champ had just finished nailing up the last of the drywall. Now they just needed to tape and mud the cracks then Waverly and Wynonna could get to painting the walls and then the guys could haul up the area rugs and furniture. It should all be ready for Nicole's return in a couple of days. 

“I hope she’s going to love it,” Waverly pulled Curtis in for a hug. 

“Well, I know that kid has never really had a place of her own,” Curtis hugged Waverly in return. 

“What, is Haught an orphan or something?” Champ tugged his gloves off, sticking them in his back pocket. 

“Hell kid, she’d probably be better off if she was,” Curtis let out a deep breath at that. 

“Uncle Curtis!” Waverly pulled back shocked at the comment but really she didn’t feel any different than he did. The converting of the loft honestly felt inevitable. 

“Well, it’s pretty cool digs regardless,” Champ shrugged and pulled out one of the water bottles stored in the spare cooler. 

“Just until we get the cabins built,” Curtis started to gather up the tools, “You know, if you decide to stick around Purgatory after graduation and you keep learning the land from my guys, one of those could be yours too.” 

Champ had knelt to pick up the loose nails and put them back into the box, “That’s a mighty fine offer, sir.” Champ looked back towards Waverly who offered him a smile and knew exactly what Curtis was up too. If Waverly and Wynonna were to take over the ranch, they’d need capable ranch hands who would be around for a while and knew what they were doing. Word was that once Curtis retired, so would the current ranch hands working for Curtis. It didn’t hurt to start recruiting and training now. 

“Well, don’t forget, any friends of yours that you think would be a good fit, send them my way,” Curtis stood, groaning for just a second and offering Waverly a reassuring smile that he was okay. 

“Yes, sir,” Champ tucked the last items away and followed Curtis down from the loft to put away their supplies. 

Waverly circled the space, noting that it did feel significantly warming up here now that insulation was significant. They’d still have to get a space heater for the much colder winter nights that were on the way. She’s sure that if it was too bad then she could crash in Wynonna’s room still but for now, this would be perfect for her girlfriend. 

A couple of days later she was helping Wynonna and Curtis put together the bed frame, desk, and bookshelf. Hauling the heavy boxes up had been an obstacle of challenges and as they cramped their wrists by continuously twisting hex keys, Waverly wondered what they were going to do to get the furniture down when this wasn’t needed as a spare bedroom anymore. Knowing Wynonna it would probably just get tossed right out the loft window. 

Wynonna was finally released from the torture by Curtis after Wynonna attached the third piece upside down and backwards. It wasn’t too much Wynonna’s fault, the instructions did only come in chinese, the one language Waverly hadn’t learnt yet, so just following the images was proving to be a living nightmare. 

“I don’t know why Gus convinced me ordering online would be the best way to go. I know it’s all temporary but I could have built something sturdy with some plywood and two by fours for less hassle than this,” Curtis finally tossed his hex key down and leaned up against the blue painted walls. 

“Well, with this, it looks more put together than just some plywood Uncle Curtis,” Waverly smiled and cleaned up the Styrofoam packing and stuffed it all back into the boxes that all the pieces came in. 

“Well, now that everything is put together, do you think Nicole will like it?” Curtis took the boxes from Waverly and tossed them down to the bottom floor. 

Waverly took a look around the room and then emptied the final bags to pull out the black and grey flannel comforter and dark blue sheets for the bed. Curtis had cut open the mattress the day before and had it in the corner to ‘inflate’ into its shape. While she prepped the sheets and pillows, he dragged it over and up onto the bed frame. He helped her get the bed made and after she fluffed the pillow one last time, the room was finished and waiting for Nicole. 

“I think she might be a bit overwhelmed that we did this for her, but she really will love it. I know it,” Waverly beamed and took in the completed room. She wasn’t entirely too sure how much stuff Nicole had back at her apartment but hopefully between the desk, bookshelf, and small dresser they’d put together, it would be enough storage for anything she’d bring with. It was Waverly’s understanding that Nicole’s parents were getting rid of the apartment when the lease was up in December. 

“Well, I know your Aunt Gus wants to go over the new house rules with you once Nicole is back but I figure I can give you a heads up now,” Curtis took a seat in the computer chair by the desk and Waverly gently sat at the edge of the bed, trying not to mess up the comforter. 

“Okay, I assumed there would be some rules,” Waverly folded her hands in her lap. 

“You know, I once told Nicole that it was a relief we didn’t have to worry about her getting you pregnant,” Curtis laughed deeply and Waverly couldn’t help laughing too but her cheeks were definitely red. Once the laughter settled Curtis turned serious again, “You two are going to do whatever it is you have your mind set to. I was a teenager once, I remember how it was. But, I do trust that you two will be safe and smart about it. Just don’t traumatize your Aunt. She has enough to worry about with your sister.” 

Waverly nodded, relieved that it wasn’t a deep ‘birds and the bees’ type conversation. 

“I also know that lesbian sex is different than hetero sex but the gist, I’m sure, is still the same. So if you need to talk about anything I will do my best,” Curtis’s cheeks were just as red as Waverly's and they absolutely refused to meet each other's eyes. 

“Um, thanks?” Waverly tried very hard not to think about what she could possibly need to ask Curtis about.

“I’m sure you’d go to Wynonna for advice, but I want you to know that you have a supportive adult that you can ask questions. Just, you can always talk to me,” Curtis scratched at the back of his neck. 

Waverly stood from the bed and quickly covered the distance of the loft to pull her Uncle into a tight hug, “I appreciate it.” 

Curtis hugged her back just as tightly. 

********

Nicole was due any minute to be dropped off by her parents and everyone was just tensely waiting in the living room, listening for the sound of a car in the driveway. Property Brothers was playing on the tv but it seemed only Gus was really paying attention to it. Curtis would occasionally get up to refill his water cup and on his way back into the living room pause at the front window. Waverly was attempting to study but she kept looking up when Curtis would check the window. Wynonna had given up fidgeting in the room and instead could be heard up in the attic grunting and occasionally cursing as she was dragging out the Christmas decorations. 

They’d held off decorating, thinking it could be a distraction for Nicole to join them and also not wanting her to feel left out. Waverly’s phone buzzed on the coffee table in front of her and she shot forward to tap her screen awake to read the message. It was from Nicole, about to pull into their driveway. Waverly jumped to her feet and skipped towards the door, Curtis right behind her. Waverly could practically hear Gus’s sigh but the tv muted and her aunt joined them on the front porch just as the Haught's SUV pulled into their driveway. 

Soon as Nicole was out of the backseat Waverly was bouncing into her arms to pull her into a tight hug. It was over a week of not getting to see or really talk so the relief that washed through her at having Nicole back was instant. 

“Hey baby,” Nicole smiled and placed a soft kiss against Waverly’s temple. Waverly pulled her a little tighter across her chest. 

“Hey.” 

After a minute they pulled apart and Waverly helped Nicole pull out the two duffle bags in the back of the SUV while Mr. Haught talked with Curtis. After a few minutes Nicole was giving her mother and father a hug and then Nicole was left standing in their driveway with a few bags of her stuff and her family driving off to leave for Thailand. 

“I appreciate you taking me in,” Nicole turned to Curtis and Gus and they both pulled her in for hugs. 

“You’ve always been family. Guess now it’s just closer to being official,” Curtis winked and Nicole’s cheeks darkened and she looked down with a smile. 

“Before we get you settled in, best you and Waverly sit on the couch. We’ve got some house rules to go over,” Gus was straight to the point and the horrified look Nicole shot her she matched. 

The talk wasn’t all that bad. Simple rules like curfew to be followed, total honesty was expected, don’t do anything that would horrify everyone if they were caught doing it. Wynonna cackled at the last one to which Curtis replied that he’d be sending her to do those checks. Despite the embarrassment, and Waverly feeling like heat would never leave her cheeks, they promised they would be respectful. Although, Waverly was a planner and she was already plotting how to get her and Nicole alone up in the loft. All this time trying to find a make out spot and now they technically had one. 

“Alright, well, we have a surprise for you,” Curtis took Nicole’s bag and with her girlfriend thoroughly confused as to why her things were being carried out of the house, they all led Nicole into the barn and pointed up to the loft. 

From the floor you couldn’t see the furniture but you could tell that the walls had been redone. They let Nicole climb up first and then Curtis, Waverly, and Wynonna followed. Gus stayed back to start dinner for them all. 

Nicole stood stock still in the middle of the room. Waverly could tell her girlfriend was overwhelmed. They placed her bags by the foot of the bed and let Nicole process what she was feeling. 

“This is for me?” 

Curtis pulled Nicole in for a hug and laughed, “Didn’t seem right for you to permanently live on Wynonna’s floor.” 

“My spleen appreciates that,” Nicole laughed back, sniffling back the tears and ignoring the catch in her voice. 

“Tell you what, I’ll go help Gus prepare dinner. Waverly, why don’t you help Nicole unpack. I’ll send Wynonna out when dinner is ready,” Curtis turned to descend the ladder, “Welcome home Nicole.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Nicole smiled and then when Curtis had dropped out of view she pulled Waverly in for a tight hug. 

“Is all this okay?” Waverly wrapped her arms tightly around Nicole’s waist, breathing in at the crook of her neck. She smelt like travel at the surface but underneath the hints of Nicole filled Waverly’s senses. All the tension and anxiety she’d felt the entire time Nicole had been gone eased and Waverly finally felt like she could relax and breath. 

“I’m a bit overwhelmed. Sad about my parents, angry too,” Nicole turned and breathed in deeply at Waverly’s hairline, no different than Waverly just did at her throat. “But the homestead has always felt like my home.” 

Waverly hums against her throat and places a soft kiss there. Nicole feels like her home and she squeezes tighter against her waist. She pulls back and Nicole looks down at her, “This room is amazing though. I love the blue.” 

“I put Wynonna in charge of getting the paint but luckily she got the right shade,” Waverly beamed, happy that Nicole liked it. 

“It’s awesome,” Nicole pulled back a bit, “I should unpack though. Best to get that over with.” 

Waverly released Nicole’s waist and followed her to the bags placed by the bed. She could feel the shift in Nicole’s mood again and agreed that the quicker they got Nicole unpacked the better. Nicole didn’t really have a lot of knickknacks to place on the shelves and Waverly wondered if that would change since Nicole would technically now always live here, either in the loft or the cabin when it was finished.

Aside from the rest of Nicole's clothes and a few pairs of shoes, Nicole only placed out her Aunt’s flag case that Curtis built her. The space still felt a little sparse of being Nicole’s. Waverly hoped to change that one day, and with Christmas just around the corner, she might be able to do it soon. 

With as little as Nicole had to unpack it didn’t take a lot of time at all. They folded up her now empty duffle bags and stored them under the bed. Nicole took a seat and bounced a bit, “Oh wow! This is fucking comfortable!” 

“A definite step up from the cot,” Waverly laughed at the joy on Nicole’s face. 

“Oh most definitely,” Nicole laughed and tugged at Waverly’s hand to get her to sit next to her. The memory foam was indeed comfortable. Waverly’s matching laugh died in her throat as her thoughts shifted. 

“Mmm, best make sure this meets your needs,” Waverly leaned forward and Nicole only paused for a second before matching Waverly’s smile and leant in to meet her. Almost two weeks without these lips against her and she practically melted into Nicole. 

Their weight shifted as Waverly pushed forward and before she really realized what she had done, and what Nicole had let happen, she had Nicole pressed down into the mattress, hands at her waist as Waverly hovered over and to her side. Nicole’s red locks splayed against the pillows behind her head and she hummed when their lips parted and looked up at Waverly dazed. 

“I’ve missed you,” Waverly shifted, lying her body fully against Nicole’s side. She brought her hand up to cup Nicole’s jaw, fingers tracing against the curve making Nicole’s eyes flutter shut. 

“I’ve missed you too, baby,” Nicole’s fingers flexed at her side and Waverly leaned down, not wanting to waste any time they had before Wynonna came to fetch them. 

They kiss until her lips feel numb, her hands twisted into Nicole’s flannel and the heat becoming heavy between them. She’s not at all surprised when the barn door is banged open forcefully and loud stomping makes them finally part for air.

“Yo! Love bugs! Dinner is ready,” Wynonna shouts but doesn’t climb up the ladder, “Also, baby girl, I need my Haught time. You can have her later!” 

Nicole chuckles at her best friend being her usual charming ass. They get up from the bed and Nicole takes another appreciative glance around the space, “This really is amazing.” 

“Nothing but the best for my best baby,” Waverly pulls Nicole in for another kiss. 

They can hear Wynonna gagging below them, “Disgusting you two!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Another chapter soo soon from the last posting. Partly because I was inspired to knock out another update now that I'm back in the writing grove. Also, FaithSky has been keeping me motivated. So bonus chapter. It's all building up to something.


	17. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals are done and Christmas break begins.

The first heavy snowfall managed to not sweep through Purgatory until the last week of classes. It was a very late setting winter this year which Nicole was slightly grateful for. Typically the colder weather brought a heavier mood amongst the occupants of the Homestead, this year Nicole included. Along with Nicole's least favorite chores; snow shoveling. 

For the last few days of class she was catching a ride to school with Waverly, whose Jeep had four wheel drive and handled the roads far better than Nicole’s Honda. It gave them a little time to spend together in the mornings without Wynonna who still insisted on driving her truck and then disappearing after school to wherever her job was. 

The rides were quiet though, Waverly’s mind so occupied with her finals that Nicole had quickly realized that conversations would be better to have after school but by then Nicole was busy working and studying for her own finals. All in all, it was beyond stressful for three teenagers going into winter break and they were practically dying for the final bell to ring come Friday afternoon. 

Nicole wasn’t worried about her finals. Her grades were solid enough that she could flat fail and still pass with a ‘C’ average. She still studied and did her best on her exams knowing that despite her plan to enlist, having a good academic record wouldn’t hurt. Even if joining didn’t work out the way Nicole hoped, she doubted she’d go to college without a scholarship. She was worrying more than she needed to now, only being a Junior. The real pressure would come next year. 

The ride back to the homestead on Friday was filled with a much lighter presence as Waverly was smiling, holding Nicole’s hand on her lap and singing along to the radio. Nicole forced herself to be in the moment with her girlfriend, singing along to the songs she recognized. The ones she didn’t she would focus on the beat and mimic it with her free hand against her thigh. For the short thirty minute ride Nicole had nothing to worry about, nothing to be disappointed or sad. It was the best thirty minutes she’d had since moving into the barn loft. 

When Waverly pulled up and parked her Jeep outside the barn they were greeted with Curtis on the roof fixing the Christmas lights they had hung a couple of weeks ago. The heavy snowfall had knocked a few of the strands down and another had blown a bulb. Christmas was the next week and no way would Gus or Waverly allow them to have janky looking Christmas lights. 

Nicole hopped out of the Jeep, “Let me help you old man!” 

All Nicole could picture was Curtis slipping and breaking all the important bits in his body. Waverly was out of the Jeep just as fast and hustling to the point of slipping on ice before they made it to the ladder propped against the side of the house. 

“Don’t call me an old man you little whipper snapper!” Curtis paused and shook a finger down at Nicole. For a fraction of a second it looked like his footing lost traction and with wide eyes he barked a sharp laugh, “But, I wouldn’t mind some help. Be careful on your way up.” 

Nicole climbed up the ladder, Waverly holding it still for her. Between the two of them the task was completed and the lights fixed and blinking in no time. Back on the ground, Waverly was wrapping arms around Nicole’s waist and burying her freezing cold nose into the crook of Nicole's’ neck. 

“Geez baby, you’re freezing. We should get you inside,” Nicole pulled away and collapsed the ladder, “I’ll be in after I put this away.” 

Curtis pulled Waverly into his side, “Let’s go pester Gus into making some fresh hot chocolate so we can celebrate the start of winter break. Now, tell me, how did your finals go?” 

Nicole didn’t hear the answer but knew that Waverly’s mood would have reflected how she did on her tests and if the dancing, singing, and beaming was any indication then it was a safe bet that Waverly was now a Sophomore and back on track. Now she’d only be the year behind her and Wynonna and that got her mind back on the thoughts of what she was going to do after graduation. 

Her own mood soured as she put the ladder away and then went to retrieve her backpack from the Jeep and hauled it up into the loft. Considering that her parents had fully abandoned her at this point did it really matter what she did after graduation? She only had the family here to worry about and they would be proud of her. Enlisting meant that she could properly take care of Waverly once she graduated too. She would honor her Aunt and fulfill a purpose that had been weighing on her for quite some time. 

She tossed her backpack onto her desk and fished out her practice drum pad and deposited it on her nightstand along with her sticks. Break would be a good time to start working on what she’d like to do for next year. It had to be epic, it would be her final year of marching band and she wanted to go out on top. She wanted there to be enough percussion one trophies that Ms. Lucado would let her keep one as a memento to her four years. 

The whiplash of her emotions, thoughts, and finals caught up to her and all she wanted to do was faceplant into her bed. So she did. She really only planned to close her eyes for a minute, just regain her calm and recharge. When she blinked her eyes open the barn was pitch black and the only light through the big window was from the pole light for the driveway. There was a tupperware container and a cup on her nightstand with a sticky note attached. 

She groaned, rolled over, and grunted as both her shoulders popped along with half her spine. She felt the burn from the crease of her pillow in her cheek and yawned, rubbing the buildup away from the corner of her eyes. She clicked on her bedside lamp and peeled off the stick note, recognizing the writing as Waverly’s. 

_ Text me when you wake up. But only if you feel up to company.  _

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and plugged it in. The screen lit up and 2:14 AM just mocked her. She doubted Waverly would be awake at this hour and she was honestly a bit pissed at herself that she slept so long. There was no way she’d get back to sleep now and would be exhausted by the time she got through her Saturday chores. 

[Nicole]: Hey baby, sorry I fell asleep. Thanks for bringing me up some food. 

Nicole popped open the container and reached for the fork by her drink. Luckily, she loved cold spaghetti and wasted no time in slurping up the noodles until she practically inhaled it all. She was closing the container back when she heard the barn door creak open. She hopped up quickly and peeked over the railing to see if the wind had blown it open. Last thing they needed was for the horses below to get cold, and Nicole too.

“Waves?” Nicole was surprised to see Waverly at the bottom of her ladder wrapped up in what looked like two of her blankets. 

“Hey. Is it okay if I come up?” 

“Of course.” 

When Waverly was near the top Nicole reached out to help her the rest of the way. With a heavy shiver, Waverly practically dived into Nicole’s bed and sighed as she was in the path of Nicole’s space heater. 

“You okay?” Nicole kicked off her shoes and searched through her dresser for her second set of flannel pajamas. 

“I could ask you that,” Waverly’s face barely peeked out from the way she was tucked into the blankets and Nicole smiled at how cute her girlfriend looked. 

“I’m good. Was just more tired than I thought.” 

Waverly turned away as Nicole quickly changed, not wanting to have exposed skin for too long and lose all her built up heat. She kept on her thick wool socks, despite how annoying it was to sleep in socks. Waverly shuffled around on Nicole’s bed until the comforter was pulled back and brought up over Waverly’s legs, the corner turned down for Nicole to be able to crawl in. 

“Thanks for bringing me up some food. Sorry I napped for so long,” Nicole sighed as she got comfortable and Waverly situated herself in the space beside her. The two blankets were now over Nicole’s comforter and spread out to cover Nicole as well. Nicole tucked her right arm behind her head to prop herself better and Waverly quickly settled into her side, one arm draped over Nicole’s midsection. 

“You sure you’re okay?” 

Nicole hummed, bringing her arm down to pull Waverly snug into her side and tucked her face against Waverly’s. 

“Just everything caught up with me today.”

Waverly’s fingers danced against Nicole’s ribcage, not quite light enough to tickle but rather soothing. Waverly remained quiet, accepting whatever Nicole was willing to share. 

“My parents abandoned me,” Nicole whispered the words past her constricting throat. Pressure started to build and burn behind her eyes and she desperately fought back to the intense rising wave of emotion. 

Waverly sat up, quickly bringing one hand to Nicole’s jaw, “Oh honey.” 

The tears that quickly built up were now slipping down her cheeks. Waverly’s thumb was quick to swipe and wipe them away but all Nicole could do was close her eyes tightly and pray that she stopped crying so pathetically in front of Waverly. Waverly just continued to sweep her thumb against her cheek and brought their foreheads to rest together. 

Nicole cried. Sobbed, really. To the point where it was hard to breathe and the only thing grounding her from not completely losing it was Waverly pressed so tightly against her. It was a long time before she was able to calm back down; her throat raw, lungs burning, and her eyes feeling like a ton of weight pressing down on them. Waverly didn’t falter in holding her tightly and words weren’t spoken. They didn’t need to be. Waverly just kept holding her until Nicole fell back asleep. 

She felt absolutely terrible when she started to wake up again. There was a constant steady pulse in her temple and pressure in her brow that reminded her that she had wept in Waverly’s arms the night before. Now thought, she was becoming aware that it was Waverly who was in hers. Waverly’s back was tucked into Nicole’s front, their hips lined up and Nicole’s arm was pulled up and grasped tightly against Waverly’s chest. Long, chestnut hair, tickled Nicole’s nose but her body was warm and settled and she quickly realized she never wanted to move. Having Waverly in her arms felt like home. 

Waverly’s hipped jolted back into Nicole’s and a different heat started to build. Especially when Nicole was certain the sound Waverly just made was a deep moan into her pillow. Nicole froze, not sure if she should wake her just yet. After another jolt of hips pushing back into her own she opted to try wiggling, hoping it might naturally wake Waverly up. 

Waverly turned till she was facing Nicole, hair splayed out against the pillow and tossing a leg over Nicole’s as their fronts pressed together. Nicole could feel Waverly’s breath hot against her face and her entire body started to thrum from the contact. Her hand that had been tucked up into Waverly’s chest was now over her hip, her fingers naturally at the hem of Waverly’s sleep shirt that was riding up slightly. 

Hazel eyes slowly blinked open and a lazy smile broke across Waverly’s face, “Mmmm, good morning.” 

“Morning,” Nicole smiled softly letting her fingers dance across exposed skin now that Waverly was conscious. 

Waverly brought her face closer, her nose tracing along Nicole’s until soft lips connected. Waverly’s lips parted when Nicole licked across the bottom one, opening their kiss to be more intimate. Waverly gripped at the base of Nicole’s neck, fingers twisting through the fine hairs until nails bit into skin. The heat between them turned scorching and Nicole shifted forward, pressing more until Waverly was nearly tucked beneath her. 

“Quite the wake up Haught. Little jealous that I didn’t get the tonsil check when we shared a room.” 

Nicole pulled back in a shot, tumbling out of the bed and straight into the floor in a tangle of blankets and her comforter. Waverly shot up, holding the remaining corner to her chest.

“WYNONNA!” 

“Morning babygirl. Gus was wondering where you snuck off to. Don’t worry, I’ll tell her you two were dressed and behaving,” Wynonna winked. She was sitting at Nicole’s desk, feet kicked up and filing away at her nails. 

“We are dressed,” Nicole huffed, pulling herself to her feet. There was a chill in the air outside of her space heater’s radius. She marched over to her dresser and pulled out a hoodie to toss over her sleep shirt. She caught sight of the drive outside the window and realized at some point it had snowed again. The drive was covered in at least a foot of snow meaning she needed to get out there and get it cleared.

“Fuck, what time is it?” 

“Late enough that not only am I awake, but I have also been out and done some Christmas shopping,” Wynonna laughed and hopped up from the chair, “Don’t worry, Curtis had already mentioned giving you the day off from field work. Said something about you being exhausted last night. Although I would give you twice the chores considering that fatigue might be from defiling my baby sister.” Wynonna slapped Nicole’s shoulder.

“We haven’t done anything like that Wy,” Waverly huffed and got out of bed, wrapping her blankets back around herself, “Not that I could ever get the chance since you have impeccable timing.” 

“What?” Wynonna looked baffled with Waverly’s comment then understanding seemed to dawn, “You two haven’t?” Wynonna finished her statement with some crass gesturing that had Nicole rolling her eyes. 

“I would get laid if you would stop creeping around any time I’m trying!” 

This quickly was turning into an Earp sister moment and Nicole was caught in the middle. She was certain that her ears at least matched the color of her hair at this point. 

“Well, I can’t help that.” 

“Stop twat blocking me!” 

“Okay, I’m going to need to change into my cold gear so I can shovel the drive,” Nicole pulled out her clothes and when she turned both sisters were still glaring at each other, “Can I please have some privacy to do that?” 

“Sure Haught stuff,” Wynonna stuck her tongue out at Waverly and then descended the ladder. 

Waverly gave her a peck on the cheek and then with some careful maneuvering she went down the ladder without losing her blanket cocoon. 

“What the hell is this?” 

Nicole groaned and quickly changed then made sure her space heater was turned off so it didn’t burn the barn down. She climbed down and turned to see what the new commotion was. Now parked in the barn was a sleek black Harley Davidson. Nicole’s eyebrows were practically to her hair line as she stepped forward to admire the fine beast that was practically glistening in the sunlight from the open barn door. 

“I’ve been working hard and finally saved up for this beauty,” Wynonna purred as she ran her hands from tail to handlebars.

“She’s gorgeous,” It was a awed whispered breath of a response by Wynonna practically puffed her chest out at Nicole’s praise. 

“It’s my Christmas present to myself. No one can say shit because it’s all mine,” Wynonna caressed the handles.

“Gus is going to lose her shit,” Waverly folded her arms with a bemused expression. 

She wasn’t wrong. Gus was going to lose her shit that Wynonna now had a motorcycle. 

“True, but Curtis is going to be impressed. She’s a beauty,” Nicole stepped next to Waverly and shrugged, “Not much they can say since she bought it herself.” 

“Yeah,” Waverly’s shoulders sagged, “Just promise me that you’ll be super careful on this. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Or worse.”

“Promise babygirl,” Wynonna’s eyes softened towards her sister, “Cross my heart.” 

*******

Wynonna managed to keep the motorcycle a secret for most of the week. It was only discovered when Nicole hadn’t managed to cut Curtis off from checking in on the horses like she had been quick to do all week. Gus did lose her shit but ultimately told Wynonna she was financially responsible for it and any hospital bills that resulted and god forbid if Gus received any phone call that she was being reckless on it. Curtis offered to help teach Wynonna the maintenance and riding tips and that when the weather was nice again they would go for rides together. Nicole couldn’t quite place the emotion that washed through Wynonna at the offer but she didn’t miss the build up of moisture in her eyes. Nicole didn’t point it out, she was smarter than that. 

It was Christmas day and snow was actively falling and had been since the day before. Nicole had gone out periodically to move snow around till a pretty impressive bank had built up and offered a sizable pile to use for snowman building and snow ball fights. Their bases could still be seen from the back of the house but were quickly losing shape and functionality as snow kept falling. 

They’d been called in to warm back up and eat their lunch so they could open presents now that Curtis was back inside from doing his rounds on the property. You didn’t get holidays off when running a ranch but Curtis was quick to let the ranch hands have the day off and Nicole had managed to sneak completing a few chores before Curtis caught her and demanded that she enjoy the day with Waverly and Wynonna who had already been chasing each other around in a spectacularly epic snowball fight. Nicole’s involvement only escalated the war and ended up causing both sisters to turn on her and form an alliance themselves, stating Nicole couldn’t be fair if she joined either her girlfriend or her best friend. Nicole didn’t mind as it gave her two targets and she didn’t hold back. 

Now she was inside and warming back up and grinning despite how terribly her shoulders hurt and her pride. Waverly might have managed to distract her with a borderline indecent kiss that left Nicole stunned long enough for Wynonna to bury her snow that quickly seeped through all of her layers. 

Curtis and Gus took to the couch while the girls sat around on the floor. Each of them had a small pile of presents in front of them. Last year they had gotten Nicole presents but this year the pile was considerably more. She had peaked at the labels and tried to hide her disappointment that none of them seemed to be from her parents. She wondered if they would send her anything at all. 

The tradition was that everyone would take a turn opening one gift until their pile was gone. Wynonna had ended up with a proper motorcycle helmet from Curtis, and new leather jacket from Gus, and new boots from Waverly. A sorta subtle statement that Wynonna better be wearing proper gear on her motorcycle and there was no excuse if she wasn’t. Wynonna had squealed more and more as she opened each one since the style was spot on for Wynonna’s image. Nicole’s gift to her was a pair of padded, fingerless, sparring gloves and wraps to go underneath. Nicole had spent the past day, sneakily, mounting and hanging a punching bag in the corner of the barn with Curtis’s permission. Nicole knew how therapeutic tearing down the cabins had been, but now that the destruction was over Nicole had brainstormed for other means of release for her best friend. Considering Wynonna’s glee, Nicole had picked wisely. 

Waverly had gotten some new clothes, a few new books, and from Nicole a necklace that had two charms; a pair of drumsticks and a trumpet. Waverly immediately put it on, with some help from Nicole and kissed her on the cheek. Nicole beamed, seeing the charms catch the light at the hem of Waverly’s low cut shirt. 

Nicole was gifted with some clothes, a new roll of stick tape, a new practice pad to replace her old one, a badass leather jacket from Wynonna and a partially filled photo album from Waverly. A lot of the pictures inside were selfies of themselves from band camp, football nights, and competitions. It was a steady timeline of their relationship and there were plenty of blank spaces to fill. 

One final box was pulled out from the closet by Curtis and placed down for Nicole to open. Nicole squirmed a bit, feeling all eyes in the room on her as she peeled back the wrapping paper. 

“You can’t call this land home without having one of your own,” Curtis smiled as Nicole lifted the lid of the box and felt the breath leave her lungs. 

Nestled inside was a brilliant white Stetson. She gingerly pulled it out, thumb running against the tan leather strap that wrapped around it. 

“Well, put it on dear. Let’s see if we got the size right,” Gus smiled with her prompt and they all watched as Nicole lifted the Stetson and placed it on her head. The fit was snug but not too tight; definitely a perfect fit. 

“Wow,” Waverly’s jaw went slack. 

“White was definitely the right color, especially with that red hair of yours,” Curtis nodded with approval. 

“Eh, she’d kill it in any color but white does suit ya,” Wynonna shrugged but she looked equally as pleased with the look. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Nicole felt the weight, turning her head side to side, but it felt right. Like it was meant to be. 

“Nothing to say dear,” Gus leaned into Curtis’s side, his arm going around her shoulder, “Just proper that you have one since you’re properly part of this family now.” 

“Yeah, a Haught-Earp,” Wynonna chimed. 

Nicole and Waverly’s eyes immediately connected at that. Her thoughts on Haught-Earp most likely went a different direction than Wynonna meant them but Waverly’s gaze suggested she was right there with Nicole’s thoughts. 

“Hehe,  _ hot _ Earp,” Wynonna chuckled, “We all know that's me right?” 

Everyone rolled their eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your kind words. I love reading comments and seeing notifications for kudos. It warms my heart that this fic is loved by you all just as much I love writing it.


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